A Fate Worse Than Death
by West Dean
Summary: HGSS SSOther Hermione thinks that she has uncovered a Dark plot against Snape. Can she convince the Potions master before it is too late? Chapter Ten is finally up!
1. The Endless Corridor

**A Fate Worse Than Death.**

By **West Dean**

The Harry Potter Universe belongs solely to J K Rowling and her chosen associates. This author is just having fun playing in it and no profit is intended.

An AU Year Six Story set after _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_. Not HBP or DH compatible. Spoilers for everything else everywhere.

**Pairings:** HG/SS: SS/Other.

**Author's Warning**: Although this is a Hermione/Severus fic., there is implied male slash in this story as an integral part of the plot – If you do not like slash please avoid!

**Chapter One.**

The Corridor appeared to be empty.

A possessor of enhanced senses, a pet rat perhaps, hurrying to search for a dropped treasure from Honeydukes, before the castle elves swept through the Hogwarts classrooms on their nightly clean, might think otherwise. They might hear the soft whisper of leather soles across the cold flagstones, notice the slight guttering of the torches in their iron holders and even the beating of a nervous heart.

The owner of a magical eye would immediately see that the corridor was occupied.

The willowy form of Miss Hermione Granger, wrapped in a familiar invisibility cloak, was moving rapidly down the corridor in the direction of the Grand Staircase.

Her bushy hair was compressed beneath the folds. Her right arm was held up before her face to create a bubble of fabric, that would hide the telltale puffs of cold breath on this frozen February night. A rolled parchment was clutched carefully beneath her other arm.

To find out why this paragon of a Hogwarts student and model prefect should be wandering through the castle late in the evening, when even prefects were required to be in bed, a slight nudge on a time turner would be needed to return just twenty minutes into the past.

Here in the Gryffindor common room you would see Hermione put her quill down onto the cosy corner table, with a small sigh of satisfaction. She had managed to write ten inches more than required, on a parchment that now detailed all the possible ways of dealing with an infestation of Glumbumbles. She looked up to find herself yet again the sole occupant of the common room apart from a very miserable looking and hunched up figure occupying an armchair by the fire. On closer inspection this turned out to be Neville Longbottom, who was clutching his toad so hard that its eyes were bulging even more than usual, and muttering to him-self in a despairing tone.

Hermione quickly packed away her schoolwork and walked quietly over to the fire.

"Are you OK, Neville?" asked Hermione, as she settled herself into the neighbouring armchair, curling her feet comfortably onto the cushions.

Neville gave a horrid start but then settled back into the depths of the armchair as he realised that he was looking into the warm brown eyes of his most sympathetic of classmates.

"Oh it's you, Hermione. You gave me a bit of a scare, I - thought everyone had gone to bed."

Neville put Trevor onto his knee, but the annoyed amphibian jumped down onto the fireplace rug and hopped off across the room away from the fire.

Neville made no move to chase him but looked at Hermione with a worried frown and said "It's my Potions essay. I finished it even though it took up all my spare time this week – I _do_ want to do my potions NEWT, but – I was supposed to hand it in by the end of suppertime this evening, Professor Snape was most insistent, but – then I had to go to the greenhouses and by the time I got back I – forgot!"

Hermione managed to keep her face from showing her dismay at yet another Neville mishap, especially as yet again it involved Potions.

Professor Snape appeared unable to hide his annoyance that Neville Longbottom had managed to reach the required level on his potions OWL to enable him to start at NEWT level. No one had appeared more amazed at this result than Neville himself, who had put his amazing achievement down to the simple fact that Snape had not been present at the exam. Anyone aware of the progress of Neville's potions career would have assumed that, at this first chance to escape his dreaded professor, he would have fled the dungeons and never looked back. However, displaying that streak of stubbornness in adversity that was Neville's strongest Gryffindor attribute, he had signed up for the NEWT classes, which he saw as necessary for a career in Herbology.

The result had been a series of hideous potion lessons with Snape rounding on Neville with vehemence for the slightest mistake and assigning him significant amounts of extra potion's homework presumably hoping that the boy would crumble and resign from Snape's classes.

The necessary visit to the school greenhouses reflected on Neville in a much more positive light. His skill at Herbology and his genuine enthusiasm for the subject had led to the pleasant result of Professor Sprout accepting his proposal for the first practical part of the NEWT exam. Students were expected to plant, tend and harvest a plant noted for its magical properties and produce a parchment detailing what they had done and the uses to which their specimens could be put. Most students had opted, predictably, for fairly simple plants. Ron Weasley, for example, had chosen magical hazel, a project that involved the planting of several hazel cuttings and observing them over a period of months to see if they grew straighter than ordinary hazel. The experiment would be raised to NEWT level by a series of trials involving grafting the magical and non-magical twigs into an old broom, under the supervision of Madame Hooch, and carrying out Quidditch trials. Obviously a project that appealed to Ron even though its relevance to the study of Herbology was doubtful.

Neville on the other hand had chosen the planting and cultivation of Whinging Snoutgrass, a plant treasured for its useful effects in treating magical ailments of the nose, but which truly lived up to its forename of whinging. If the plant felt anything was amiss such as a lack of water, food or the greenhouses being too hot or too cold, it would whine and moan in a thin reedy voice about its neglect. The sound of a bed of Snoutgrass that felt it was too cold was truly disruptive to any class being held in the Herbology greenhouses and, to keep in Professor Sprouts good books, Neville was forced to visit the greenhouses half a dozen times a day to ensure his patch of plants were truly happy in the current frosty weather. The suppertime visit had proved necessary to put the plants to bed under soft fluffy blankets for the night otherwise, by morning, they would be so upset that they would complain the whole of the following day.

Hermione found herself thinking rapidly as she looked away from Neville's downcast face into the flickering flames of the fire. She had been at supper that night and knew that it was almost certain that Professor Snape had not swept down to the owl-holes outside his office in search of a potions essay by the least magical of his students, detailing all the things that had gone wrong with Neville's attempt at a _Vervescentio_ Potion.

Ever observant, Hermione had seen the black- haired Potion's Master unable to prevent himself from clutching at his forearm with a grimace of pain halfway through supper and then rise and sweep from the Hall leaving an untouched meal behind him. She knew that Voldemort's summons had to be answered immediately, tardiness likely to be rewarded with a vicious curse, and the early fall of dusk on these winter evenings had led to Snape leaving early on several occasions.

Despite Hermione now being a junior member of the Order of the Phoenix, she was not privy to Snape's work for the Order and could only guess at what he endured in order to obtain vital information on likely Death Eater activities.

But his inevitable short temper and exhausted appearance on the day after such a summoning meant that she was filled with foreboding when she realised what was happening.

"Neville, I think it's OK - I mean you don't have to worry that Snape found your essay missing after dinner. I saw him –um leaving Hogwarts and I don't think he'll be back until morning." Hermione looked at Neville and saw hope blossoming for a moment in his eyes before fading again.

"But Hermione," stuttered Neville, "he'll notice in the morning- he's bound to. What am I going to do?"

"You can go down now to the Dungeon owl-holes and put your essay in. Snape will find it in the morning and will never suspect that it wasn't put there at suppertime." Hermione tried to say this in an encouraging tone of voice but Neville's face remained glum.

"I can't – what if I get caught? It's well after curfew. I've lost enough points off Gryffindor this year in potions already – how do you think everyone will feel about fifty points and a general Filch detention being handed out? And even if Snape is not there, there's likely to be members of Slytherin House out and about – you know what they are like. If they catch me sneaking around their dungeons you'll probably find me in three weeks time stuffed in a toilet like Montague!"

Hermione almost kept silent, but she knew that Neville had got into this fix through taking care over his herbology project rather than his usual forgetfulness or clumsiness and she could not leave a deserving friend in the lurch.

She could also imagine what the next day's double potions would be like if an irritable Snape had a missing essay with which to pursue Neville.

She finally said, "I could take it for you. I'm likely to get into less trouble if caught because I'm a prefect and could come up with a good story for being out of the Tower that no one would question as I'm a 'model student'. But to make sure I'll even borrow Harry's invisibility cloak."

Neville's face brightened immediately. "Wow, Hermione, that would be great! I'll pay you back somehow."

Hermione stopped herself from asking how, and instead looked around the Common room for Crookshanks who had spent most of the evening dozing on top of her feet while she was doing her homework.

"Crookshanks, where are you, you great furry lump, I've got a job for you." Hermione called .

She spotted a bristly ginger tail waving slowly under a nearby armchair, but Crookshanks did not respond until Hermione, with a sudden realisation, called reproachfully, "Oh Crookshanks! Leave Trevor alone. I've warned you about this before. He doesn't like it."

The ginger tail emerged backwards followed by the rest of the big demi-kneazle who looked at Hermione, his squashed face plainly asking, "Who, me?"

"_Trevor_!" cried Neville, who could now see his toad, who had been pinned down beneath Crookshanks furry bulk and was looking a little worse for wear. He got up and quickly captured Trevor between his two hands and brought him back to the fire- place.

Crookshanks assuming an innocent but superior expression sauntered over to the corner table where Hermione had gone to retrieve her school bag.

"You really shouldn't." She said in a fond way, glancing down at her cat, as she quickly wrote a few lines on a scrap of parchment.

"Now take this up to Harry in the boy's dormitory. I know they are still up as I heard the sound of a pillow fight a few minutes ago." Crookshanks obligingly took the roll of parchment in his mouth and set off up the stairs to the Sixth year bedroom.

A couple of minutes later, a grinning Harry appeared, clad in pyjamas and dressing gown, and carrying the glistening folds of the wonderful cloak.

" Hermione, I'm surprised at you! Preparing to sneak around Hogwarts and risk a Filch detention – please don't tell me this is a trip to the Library?"

Harry Potter in the spring term of his sixth year at Hogwarts was a very different boy to the one that had returned so miserably the previous autumn. Then, wracked with guilt at the death of Sirius and weighed down by the knowledge of the prophecy that Dumbledore had finally revealed to him, he had been numb, cut off from his best friends and not even able to enjoy his restored Quidditch or annoying Snape after he had been accepted into NEWTS potions. He suspected that Professor McGonagall had kept her promise to him and called in a debt off Snape to achieve this.

Help had come in the form of Remus Lupin, restored to DADA teacher (and Harry suspected brought in by Dumbledore to mentor him), who had offered Harry a focus and a lifeline in the shape of advanced defence against the dark arts lessons.

These had proved vital in thwarting Voldemort's attempt to kidnap Professor Trelawney during a death-eater raid on Hogsmeade at the end of the Autumn term.

This success had done a lot to restore Harry to himself and, although Hermione sometimes worried that his practise of defence (and if she but knew, attack ), magic was becoming too intense, she was happy to see his confidence on the rise.

Hermione quickly explained Neville's plight to Harry who helped her put on the cloak.

"Rather you than me this time, Hermione." said Harry, opening the portrait hole. "I'm afraid that two hours of Quidditch practice in this cold left Ron and me absolutely whacked."

"Good Luck!" called Neville as Hermione set off on her mission of mercy, instantly feeling goosebumps rise across her body as the warmth of the common room was dispelled by the chill of the corridor.

T.B.C.


	2. Sneaking Through The Dungeons

A Fate Worse Than Death

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs solely to J K Rowling and her chosen associates.

Chapter Two: Sneaking through the Dungeons

Hermione had chosen this particular corridor because it was well lit but little used after school hours. This meant that she could avoid having to use a Lumos spell and making the invisibility cloak pointless.

Most of Hogwarts myriad corridors were unlit, she suspected partly on purpose to deter foolhardy students. She had learnt by bitter experience that trying to traverse a long corridor in the dark, even if not clad in an encompassing cloak, meant many encounters with uncharted statues, complaining suits of armour and hard stone walls (the list could continue for some length including wandering professors, ghosts, caretakers, their cats, house- elves etc.)

The disadvantages of choosing this corridor was that it was popular with the portraits and other painted characters, who enjoyed hanging out in this location and seemed to invite friends from all over the castle. Hermione, however, had passed a number of large paintings along the corridor and was surprised to realise that they were mostly empty except for one rural landscape of field and meadow that seemed to feature a quietly snoring pony. Hermione felt that she recognised this steed as belonging to Sir Cadogan and near the end of the corridor her thoughts were confirmed.

A large ceiling to floor panel depicted a Regency Ball in full swing. In the back of the painting, through archways adorned with floral swags, dancers could be seen treading elaborate measures. Hermione had come to a halt at the sudden bustle of noise and light and could see that several elderly wizards from seemingly respectable portraits located outside the staff common room, were leading ladies wearing very low cut chiffon gowns around the dance floor and were staring very unsubtly down their cleavages.

Hermione forced her gaze to the front of the painting, which featured that vital element of every Regency Ball, the gaming tables. Among the young Bucks who were already obviously worse for wear, if the state of their cravats were any indication, there were a number of familiar characters from around the Castle.

Foremost among these was Sir Cadogan who sat, clad in full armour with legs astraddle at the nearest table, making a poor show of concealing his cards but not bothering to disguise a smile.

Opposite him sat a severe sorceress whom Hermione thought she recognised from a gloomy painting located near Snape's Office. Dressed from head to foot in swathes of black, the dark beauty gave a terrible smile as she laid down what was obviously a winning hand onto the table.

Sir Cadogan merely responded with a theatrical sigh and proceeded to unbuckle one of his gauntlets, which he then dropped onto the floor. Watching the mailed glove fall Hermione realised that it was joining a small heap of discarded garments already dropped there.

Great Merlin! She was watching the start of a major session of Strip Poker. No wonder Sir Cadogan was smiling – it would probably take 200 hands to get him down as far as his underwear. As for the three nymphs, visiting from a Birth Of Venus further up the corridor, all they had on were two strategically placed seashells each and a wisp of gauze. Three poor hands of cards and they would be more exposed than the beach scene they had deserted for the evening. Not that they seemed to mind – from the giggling and the sly looks that they were casting at the young Regency Bucks – this would suit their purpose very well.

Hermione felt a blush rise to her cheeks and quickly resumed her route. Emerging onto the Grand Staircase she risked a jump onto a set of stairs that was already in motion and lightly descended at speed, jumping a newly appeared trick stair with practised ease.

As she sped down the long stairwell Hermione reflected on the scene above. She had blushed at the overt sexual display of the nymphs, their confidence and their pleasure in their revealed bodies. This was very fitting for followers of the Goddess of Love, but was certainly not true for the average seventeen-year-old student of Hogwarts such as Hermione.

Take a cold draughty magical castle, add voluminous layered robes, watchful Heads of House, nosy ghosts, annoying poltergeists and competitive Houses and teenage sex was reduced, in its practical form, to a hasty fumble in an inconvenient and inadequately sized corner leaving young explorers in the arts of love less in the sense fulfilled and more usually feeling just a bit squidgy instead.

This was certainly Hermione's experience to date. Though no longer technically a virgin, none of her intimate encounters had even remotely approached the glorious descriptions in the small rolls of parchment that were delivered by monthly subscription to Parvati's dormitory bedroom by a small pink owl.

Parvati generously shared her enlightening treasures with her dorm mates and although Hermione made disparaging comments to the rest of the Sixth year bedroom while reading about these never ending crescendo's, trembling limbs and much forceful thrusting, she wondered if there was any possibility that a sexual encounter could reach these heights.

Thoughts of the corridor above were pushed firmly from her mind as she reached the entranceway outside the Great Hall and started to cross, with as little noise as possible, to the staircase that led down to the Dungeons.

The full Moon was flooding through the high windows and turning the stones of the cavernous hallway to molten silver. Hermione looked up at the silver orb shining down upon her and unbidden the words of Professor Sinistra rose to her mind.

"The period between the Three Quarter Moon and the Full Moon is most auspicious for acts of positive magic especially spells, potions and rituals associated with increasing magical powers. The night of the Full Moon is the most potent of all for increasing magic."

What was Voldemort up to on this most potent night, the first full moon after Imbolc with its promise of the awakening Earth? The Dark Lord had appeared to be licking his wounds after the failure of his latest attempt to counter the threat posed to him by Harry Potter. Professor Snape had not reported anything of significance for the last two months as far as Hermione had been kept aware. Thankfully Voldemort was no nearer learning the truth of the full prophecy that a concerned Ron and Hermione had forced out of an almost tearful Harry shortly after their return to Hogwarts the previous autumn.

Hermione knew she would only find out second hand if at all about the gathering of Death- eaters that Snape had been called to this evening. She knew better now than to dwell on what might be going on but her imagination could easily supply a few images and with a slight shudder she stepped out of the silvery light and descended the dark of the dungeon staircase.

She was soon standing next to the stone owl holes outside Professor Snape's office and quickly took the roll of parchment from under her arm and slid it under several others in the small pile awaiting the Potion Master's return. Hermione rearranged her cloak and hastily glanced up and down the empty dungeon corridor to check that she was still alone.

Her glance fell on the gloomy portrait that normally contained the sorceress who was currently in battle with Sir Cadogan. It showed a dark interior of a dismal castle room but Hermione noticed that the dark hangings and furniture were all in disarray with items of clothing scattered about the scene. She remembered how heavily covered up the woman had appeared – was it possible that she had gone prepared to meet Sir Cadogan wearing as many layers as he had on?

Hermione was smiling at the thought of this when a slight sound almost at her shoulder made her start with fright and then freeze as still as she could.

The door of Snape's office was slowly swinging open. Hermione flattened herself against the wall as the figure of Draco Malfoy, his white-blond hair startling in the dim gloom of the corridor emerged from the room. Draco was wearing an outdoor cloak gathered over his arms that were clutching a large cloth bag from which faint chinks could be heard as he closed the dungeon door with exaggerated care. He quickly scanned the corridor, including the empty portrait hanging across the passageway, the sight of which seemed to bring a slight smirk to his face, then moved rapidly away from Hermione's position.

Almost before she could help herself Hermione started to follow him, her head whirling with thoughts.

The bag was presumably full of potion ingredients taken from Snape's private stores. A treasure house of rare and dangerous substances as Hermione well knew.

Did members of Slytherin house regularly sneak into Snape's office at night? Wasn't it more likely that Snape would allow his favoured students access to special ingredients if they asked?

Draco had looked very cautious as he came out of the room, almost scared in fact. More amazing was the fact that he had been alone. It was almost unheard of for Draco to carry out any exploit without his two dim-witted but reliable cronies, Crabbe and Goyle in close attendance but there was clearly no sign of them.

At this point Hermione almost ran straight into Draco who had stopped in front of a blank piece of corridor wall. "Serpent Tongue, " he murmured and a hidden door in the stone swung open. He vanished through it and Hermione realising that the Slytherin Common Room obviously lay beyond knew she could not safely venture any further.

She now felt cold and tired and decided to retrace her steps homeward. As she re-passed Snape's office door, the sight of the empty portrait recalled to her the expression on Draco's face as he had glanced at it – as though he had known that the sorceress would not be there.

Had he also known that Snape was not in the castle? Hermione found this an uncomfortable thought, as it would mean that Draco knew about Snape being called to Voldemort's side this evening. With the elder Malfoy still imprisoned in Azkaban and Snape keeping his double role secret from everyone except the Order of the Phoenix it must be a coincidence that Draco had chosen this night to sneak around the dungeons.

Hermione's head now felt distinctly fuzzy and she decided to leave any thinking about what Draco might have been up to until the next morning. In fact she now made a firm decision to take a different corridor back to Gryffindor Tower, as she feared that the goings on now probably taking place at the Regency Ball would leave her with insomnia.

T.B.C

Second Author's Note: I had not really expected any positive reviews for a fic as slow paced and wordy as this one is turning out to be. So a warm thank you to my reviewers – you have inspired me to update the story about three weeks earlier than I thought I would manage! The Regency Ball is a nod to the Regency Challenge on WIKTT.


	3. A Potion Revealed

A Fate Worse Than Death

Disclaimer: the Harry Potter Universe belongs solely to J K Rowling and her chosen associates.

Chapter Three: A Potion Revealed.

Double Potions was drawing to a thankful close. Professor Snape, who was looking as though he had not slept the previous night (and was certainly acting that way), had managed to find fault with the NEWT students of all Houses including rather surprised Slytherins.

Hermione had not escaped his sneering remarks. For once his comments had not been without foundation – she had chopped the roots of the Dog's Mercury three sizes too thick. But she was unusually distracted.

Draco Malfoy was working directly in front of her and she had been trying to catch a glimpse of his expression now that he was in direct proximity to Snape.

Would he be nervous? Show signs of guilt or be acting smug at having pulled one over his fearsome Head of House?

At last she caught a direct look at his face as she returned from the ingredients cupboard at the front of the class. Draco had looked up at Snape as she returned to her seat and Hermione was surprised to see a look of fear in his eyes. Why had he stolen from the office if he was unable to hide his guilt? It suggested that he had not done this before.

Hermione could not share her puzzlement with either Ron or Harry as she had not shared this part of her adventure with them at their breakfast reunion that morning. They had congratulated her heartily as she joined them in the Great Hall and Neville had presented her with a small punnet of ripe strawberries from some mysterious corner of the Herbology greenhouses.

Hermione had kept quiet about seeing Draco because she had reasoned that, under provocation from Malfoy, Harry or Ron would not be able to resist mentioning that the Slytherin had been seen in compromising circumstances and this might create a trail back to Neville.

Neville was currently working on the same row of benches as Hermione. Following her suggestion he had magically copied the instructions from the board onto a piece of parchment on his desk, which had overcome his tendency to forget ingredients and, following the disaster of the vervescentio potion, was now carefully ticking off each completed stage and therefore avoiding adding everything twice.

He flashed Hermione a small smile as Snape announced the end of the practical session and requested labelled phials be brought up to his desk.

Hermione steeled herself for what she was now about to do. She deliberately took her time over clearing up her cauldron area and picked up her neatly labelled phial only when she had determined that she was the last to do so.

Ron and Harry were waiting for her when she shook her head and signed a question mark. Harry sighed and Ron mimed "Mad!" as they accepted that Hermione was yet again going to remain behind to ask Snape an advanced potions question.

Neither minded – this was only to be expected of the brightest witch in the school.

"Save you a seat at lunch," whispered Harry, as they left Hermione in the rapidly emptying classroom.

Hermione looked at the front of the room. The lanky potions master was sitting at his high desk entering the details of each phial on a parchment. This was the moment when Hermione could leave and her midnight discovery remain a mystery only to herself but she had made a decision that morning on waking to warn a fellow member of the Order and her strong sense of right now sent her up to Snape's desk to place her phial among the others.

"Um - Professor Snape?"

" Miss Granger. What is it now?" Snape was pinching the centre of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and grimacing. "Please be brief, I am suffering from a headache already and do not wish to add to it."

"Yes Sir, I understand, I saw you leave the Great Hall yesterday evening."

Keen black eyes now surveyed Hermione to gauge her meaning.

"And girl what of it?" he snapped.

"While you were out last night I believe that someone from your House broke into your office." There she had said it.

" And exactly how would you have come to know that?" Snape sneered at her.

"Well – I am a Gryffindor Prefect and last night was patrol duty." Which was all Hermione intended to say.

"Indeed. A Gryffindor Prefect – how wonderful, obviously gifted with far-sight as well if you could see into my office." Snape was not bothering to act civil.

"Because of the timing of the incident I thought I should warn you as a member of the Order." Hermione was struggling to stay polite and formal in the face of Snape's dislike.

"Member of the Order," Snape muttered in a tone of disgust. "Very well Miss Granger, let us satisfy your impulse to interfere in an attempt to give me some peace before an afternoon of incompetent First years."

He led the way to the dungeon door where, with an exaggerated bow of mock courtesy, he indicated that Hermione should precede him into the corridor.

They walked side by side through the passage in silence. At Snape's office door he turned to Hermione. "It has become obvious to me that there has been an increase in attempted thefts from my private stores. Slytherin students have always regarded the removal of a token or two as a sort of rite of passage for older students but the last few years has seen a marked increase in serious thefts. Ingredients for Polyjuice Potion for example."

Snape was looking very pointedly at Hermione as he said this but she maintained an innocent expression.

"Oh yes, you are talking about Barty Crouch in my fourth year aren't you Sir?"

Snape's lips thinned even more than usual and then he turned in a swish of robes to point to the portrait across the hallway. "I have therefore taken certain steps to increase security. One of which was to install a portrait of a distant ancestor, known for her understanding of the importance of maintaining a serious outlook on life, as a reliable guardian of my office door."

Snape stepped up to the portrait and called, "Lady Serena, a moment of your time if you please." The canvas remained empty and Snape raised one eyebrow in slight puzzlement.

"Madame, I have an urgent need to speak to you," he requested again.

There seemed to be movement in one corner of the painting and eventually an incredibly dishevelled sorceress, a robe clutched hastily about her person appeared at the front of the portrait. Snape's other eyebrow had shot up to join the first. Hermione had had to turn away feigning a cough as she was sure that she had heard a faint clank of armour and a muttered oath of "Gadzooks!" from the corner of the painting from which the lady had emerged.

Snape was choosing to ignore the appearance of his "reliable" ancestor.

"Lady Serena, did you witness anyone attempting to enter my office last night after curfew?"

"No Professor Snape," the sorceress murmured in a silky voice as she tried to bring her tangled locks of hair under control.

"You are absolutely sure?" Snape spoke with a triumphant smile as he turned to look at Hermione.

"Absolutely, no one entered your office while I was here. Of course, I was away for a little while around Midnight as I was forced to investigate reports that some younger portraits were misbehaving themselves at the top of the Grand Staircase."

"Of course," echoed Snape, his smile fading. "Thank you, Lady Serena."

"My pleasure as always Severus." The sorceress turned and exited from view.

Snape opened his office door with a bang and Hermione meekly followed.

He strode across his office to the large cupboard next to his desk and then whirled around to face her. "I sincerely hope that you are not having a joke at my expense Miss Granger. Life would become very unpleasant for anyone who tried to do that!"

Hermione had recovered from her laughing fit and again assumed her most innocent expression. Snape seemed satisfied and turned to the Potion store again.

"This cupboard contains material that is not released to students except under the most limited of circumstances. It is now warded with spells only known to members of the Snape family." He drew serpentine patterns against the wooden doors with his wand and then opened them.

Rows of bottles greeted the gaze of the Potion Master and his student.

Hermione had not had the time previously to look closely at the contents of the cupboard and now looked in wonder at the many different shapes and sizes of bottles displayed there. The liquids sparkled with a myriad rainbow colours in the light of the office oil lamps. Other containers held tantalising pieces of magical creatures, objects and plants, making the jars that lined the rest of Snape's office seem humdrum in comparison.

"Everything appears in order. But I will perform an audit spell to confirm this. Lady Serena mentioned Midnight I believe."

Snape pointed his wand to the centre of the cupboard and gave a circular flick, "_Tempus Nox Aperio_." A small blue glowing orb of the moon appeared with swirls of light revolving within it.

Suddenly streaks of blue flashed from the orb outlining certain jars and bottles on the shelves. Snape snarled with annoyance and leant forward to check the labels.

"It would seem that you were correct. Certain items were removed last night. Let us see what mischief was being brewed."

Snape began to examine the outlined containers with great care.

"The wards have certainly been bypassed," he murmured, almost to himself. "That is not impossible for someone with a knowledge of old wizarding families."

Snape raised his wand once more "_Finite_." The blue glow vanished.

"Let me see now," the Potion Master stood deep in thought. "Missing – one quarter draught of Ixora Root Potion, several measures of Moon Hibiscus Pollen, a container of Broceliand Gloworm tails and half a jar of Ashwinder Eggs stewed in Neroli oil. With the addition of several common Potion ingredients, a competent magic user could create a very potent Love Potion.

"Not the usual variation, this one has a nasty combination of a strong element of sexual attraction coupled with emotional attachment, if brewed correctly. And it would of course be brewed correctly," he concluded bitterly. "It never ceases to amaze me that a student who can never raise themselves to acceptable level in my classes proves perfectly capable of brewing a complicated illegal Potion. The Weasley twins for example. Of course there are always those students, mercifully rare, who are outstanding at both."

Snape was closing the cupboard as he spoke so Hermione was not sure if his barbed comment was directed at her.

He straightened up to look at her. "Do you know what day it is Miss Granger? "

"What? Um - no Sir." Hermione was thrown by the change of subject.

"It is just over one week since the celebration of that detestable festival of Valentine's Day." How could she forget? Although things had calmed down since the days of Gilderoy Lockhart, singing dwarves now being on Filch's list of banned "objects" for example; Valentine's Day had remained popular.

This year's favoured method of declaring undying love had been, courtesy of Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, a firework that rained small flaming hearts upon the object of affection. At times it had been like walking through a blizzard of sparkling red hearts as she tried to go from one lesson to another through a throng of distracted students.

Hermione, not to her surprise, had not received any token (or wanted to send one). She had decided to put her NEWTS before her heart this year, especially after the last desperate fumble in a darkened corner with a certain Ravenclaw who she had thought might have had a bit of wisdom on the subject of love.

"The castle is currently full of idiots who believe themselves either to have been spurned by the object of their affections or condemned to a loveless existence because they did not receive any pieces of heart-shaped tat." Snape was in full sneer.

"There have always been enterprising students ready to take advantage of this by making available a magical solution at an appropriate price, despite the fact that this is strictly forbidden. Due to the nature of the ingredients this Potion is ready to use as soon as it is brewed so I can expect shortly to be encountering Potion affected students all over the castle."

Hermione blinked. She had always assumed that the overcrowding of favoured trysting places in Hogwarts following Valentine's Day was due to the successful declaration of true love between the young couples concerned (even if this only lasted a week) and had not considered that magic might obviously be involved.

She found herself being ushered to the door of Snape's office.

"I will inform Madame Pomfrey directly and assist her in making the appropriate quantities of antidote. I believe you mentioned that members of my own House carried out the theft. I do not want any names!" Snape raised a finger at Hermione's attempt to speak. "I shall carry out my own enquiries to ensure that you are not exploiting this matter to settle any grudges."

He ignored her indignant glare. "The culprits will be dealt with appropriately.

"Although –," he stopped and a small smile curled his lips, "I may delay the confiscation of the Potion. After all it will be the only chance for an interfering know-it-all such as yourself to experience – love."

Hermione found herself standing in the corridor outside Snape's office looking at a closed door. Her mouth was gaping open like one of the fish in the icy lake outside the castle. Mortification then anger flooded her from head to foot.

She finally turned and marched down the corridor, her chin held high and red spots burning in each cheek.

_The Snarky, Slimy, Underhand Git! That Condescending Bastard of a Potion's Master!_

How could she have thought he would appreciate her attempt to warn him?

_I wish that someone would use that Potion on you,_ she muttered to herself as she broke into a near run, feeling moisture prickling the corner of her eyes.

_I would love to see YOU mooning around under the influence of binding magic, unable to control your emotions for once!_

She was nearly blind with tears by the time she reached the entrance to the Great Hall and decided to seek refuge in the nearest Girl's Bathroom rather than face the cheerful bustle of Hogwarts students enthusiastically setting about their lunch.

A flurry of robes and quiet sobs and she was gone.

TBC.


	4. A Beast in Care of Magical Creatures

A Fate Worse Than Death

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs solely to JK Rowling and her chosen associates.

Chapter Four: A Beast in Care of Magical Creatures.

It was late afternoon two days later. The sun was already sinking behind the purple tinged mountains and the temperature was dropping so quickly that you could hear the air crack with ice.

A cold wind was rattling the windows of the Hogwarts Library where Madame Pince was walking between the narrow rows of books with quick, efficient steps.

She carried her wand in one hand, with which she was magically lighting the lamps, and a feather duster in the other to chase impertinent pieces of dust.

The Library was almost totally deserted with students preferring the banked fires of the Great Hall or the Common Rooms to do their homework.

Madame Pince now made her way up the aisle containing books and parchments relating to the History of Magic. A furious scratching of quill on parchment informed her that a student was hard at work at the small desk situated at the window end of the aisle.

As she approached the desk Madame Pince was interested to note that this student wasn't just working in the History of Magic section but was working _at_ History of Magic as well. A very unusual occurrence, the small desk was hedged around with opened parchments and heavy textbooks.

Madame Pince raised her wand and magically lit the lamp above the desk. This revealed the bushy haired head of Hermione Granger bent low over a parchment that already extended two feet off the end of the desk.

The Librarian bestowed a rare smile of approval at the sight. Here was one student who knew how to treat books properly.

On the other hand a sudden outbreak of giggling, from the direction of the Muggle Studies aisle, revealed a couple of students who did not. Madame Pince whirled around and pattered away to do battle with the after effects of that damnable day of student distraction known as Valentine's Day.

Hermione gave a slight sneeze and tried to ignore the grumbling of her stomach that informed her that Supper was about to appear on the tables of the Great Hall.

She was wearing a heavy woollen cloak and fingerless gloves to combat the cold of her location. Her sneezes were not due to the cold however, but the dust that she had let loose when she had unfurled the parchments and opened the ancient text books piled high on the shelves around her.

Like Madame Pince, she also suspected that it had been a long time indeed since anyone had worked this diligently on a History of Magic essay. It was probably true to say that no-one had ever tried to answer Professor Binn's NEWT level question on the proceedings of the Warlock's Convention from1740 to1745 with as much detail since he had first set it decades before.

But she had found the dry subject a useful distraction which had managed to drive away all thoughts of a blasted Potion's Master, sneaky Slytherins and damned Love Potions out of her mind.

Except that it hadn't worked.

It would have been all right if there had been any evidence to back up Professor Snape's supposition of a Love Potion. By this morning however, she would have expected some sign that Slytherin mischief was about to hit the school.

At Breakfast, Draco should have been triumphantly preening in front of the gathered Slytherin's. Pansy Parkinson would be all adoring, Crabbe and Goyle unable to stop their guffaws and obvious pointing at potential victims and the rest of Slytherin should have been showing signs of excitement.

It was a collective fault of Slytherin House that although they were able to hide their plots until they were ready, they were never able to disguise the fact that something was afoot.

But this morning a quick glance at Slytherin table had shown Draco to be sitting somewhat apart from the other sixth years. He had ignored Pansy and had even spoken angrily to Crabbe and Goyle when they had started a moronic shoving match over the Weetabix.

Hermione had therefore been unable to dismiss it all as an infantile plot, much though she had wanted to. But how was she going to find out what was really going on? If she approached a group of Slytherins asking about a Love Potion they would never let her forget it.

Well, she couldn't approach a group it was true but she could approach a certain one of them.

She made up her mind and packed up her homework with stiff cold fingers. Putting away the reference books unleashed another torrent of dust and she was still sneezing as she reached the Arithmancy aisle.

As she had hoped, another lonely figure was at work at the solitary desk located there. As she drew nearer she recognised, as expected, the dark features of Blaise Zabini.

She had discovered that she shared a mutual fascination with Blaise about Arithmancy back in their third year and although their difference in House meant that they could never meet as friends they occasionally met up in the Library to go over particular problems. Due to certain anti-intellectual elements of Slytherin or "great big Trolls only fit to guard the vaults at Gringotts" as Ron put it, Blaise preferred to do the hard work that a good grade at Arithmancy demanded in the relative peace of the Library.

"Sod Off Granger," Blaise growled good-naturedly at her. "This book's mine until Friday." His fingers curled protectively around the large green book open on his desk.

"That's OK, Zabini, I'll wait," Hermione replied. She had read that particular book last October and the homework that he was working on was already lying finished in her bag.

"I want to ask you something. On Valentine's Day a friend of mine didn't get the attention of the person that they've got a real crush on. I heard that Slytherin are pretty good at coming up with a solution to this problem and that there might be something available soon."

"Whoo Hoo! Granger is in lurve!" Blaise mocked, "It's about time. Pansy Parkinson was taking bets that you had to be a bit of a –"

"Oh Shut Up Zabini! You know I'm not like that. Is there a Potion or not?"

"Not I'm afraid. Snape scalped us alive last year when he found the _Amor Profundis Potion_ and between us all, Slytherin must have prepared enough Potion ingredients to last till next Valentine's. We're running scared of Love Potions."

"Oh – My friend will have to resort to more legal methods I suppose."

"Yeah – you can tell Ron Weasley to try that slug vomiting trick again – the girls find that really attractive!"

Hermione really couldn't help herself but she had started Draco watching again.

She sneaked glances during every meal, observed him during the classes that they still shared together and once even followed him down a corridor when it seemed that he was heading somewhere interesting but it turned out to be a Boy's Bathroom that she was not aware existed.

She was chased off the Quidditch pitch as a "Gryffindor Spy" for seeing if he was up to anything suspicious at Quidditch practice.

She even set Crookshanks to patrol the Dungeon corridors one night under orders to report anything suspicious. The next night however the cat just made himself as heavy as possible on her lap when she asked him to go and dug his claws firmly into her robes to emphasise his point.

Her only conclusions from all this were that Draco was acting a little out of character, more pensive than usual, less inclined to hang out with his usual crowd of hangers-on and, on one occasion, not answering back to one of Ron Weasley's jibes about his abilities as a Seeker.

This did not add up to a plot to flood Hogwarts with a strong Love Potion. Perhaps he had just started his own private collection of ingredients, thought Hermione with frustration, but she still could not forget the look of fear that Draco had given Snape.

At last her luck changed. It was nearly time for a Care of Magical Creatures lesson and the students were gathering in small groups in the fountain courtyard before heading down the hill to Hagrid's Hut.

It was bitterly cold with a dusting of snow now lying on the frozen ground and Hermione was standing, waiting as usual for Harry and Ron, wrapped in her warmest cloak and boots with her scarf covering her face up to her eyes. She was looking forward to seeing Hagrid as he now spent most weekends out in the Forbidden Forest, caring for Grawp and the three friends were missing their visits to his cosy hut.

Draco Malfoy emerged into the courtyard to join Pansy Parkinson and was clearly looking around for Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione noticed that he had a large backpack strapped to the back of his cloak. This was an unusual sight as Draco normally went about the school unencumbered by schoolbooks or evidence of study declaring that to do otherwise marked you out as a swat.

Ron and Harry finally emerged from the castle and made their way across the courtyard.

"Sorry 'Mione." said Ron as they reached her. "We were discussing a new defence strategy for the next match using my set of Wizarding Chess and didn't realise the time.

He turned to Harry. "I know it will work – all round defence you see." "Who covers the back of the goalposts then?" countered Harry. "Well I do of course – it's simple." "Ron - that means you have to be in two places at the same time."

The conversation continued as they set off down the hill with Hermione's Draco fixated mind now dwelling firmly on the backpack.

Halfway down the steep stone steps she suddenly called out "Bother, my boot laces are undone. I'll catch you up." and stooped to tie her boot tops.

She waited until the following group of Slytherins had passed, ignoring their comments which centred around whether she and Madame Pince had exchanged Valentine's cards, and then hurried to catch up with Ron and Harry, who had finally realised that she was not with them and were waiting to make sure she got safely past the Slytherins.

As she passed Draco she made as if to slip on the icy steps and fell against him.

"Shove off Mudblood," he yelled pushing her off him.

"Oops, sorry Ferret Face," she called lightly back as she headed on down the slope, almost sliding out of control and being caught in Harry's arms as her boots slipped.

They reached Hagrid's hut without further incident. Hermione was feeling totally elated. As she had fallen against Draco's back she had heard the most satisfying clink from his backpack.

The lesson was held under the sheltering pine trees on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and consisted of Hagrid attempting to show the frozen Sixth years how to milk an enormous and very annoyed forest slug.

Hermione was trying to concentrate but was now distracted by the fact that her nose appeared to be freezing off and why Draco seemed to have brought the stolen ingredients to this place.

The lesson ended and most of the students fled straight away for the warmth of the castle far above them.

Hermione joined Harry and Ron to enquire about Grawp's progress.

"Doing fair well he is Harry." Hagrid was booming as quietly as he could. "I'll make a gen'lman of him yet. See if I don't."

Hermione was also watching a small group of Slytherins on the other side of the glade. Draco was clearly telling Crabbe and Goyle to return to the castle and they eventually set off with many exaggerated nudges and guffaws directed towards Pansy Parkinson who had remained with Draco.

She turned to him expectantly once they were alone and Draco bent and spoke into her ear, pointing towards the school above. Whatever he had whispered pleased Pansy greatly as she nodded and almost giggled then left through the trees.

Harry and Ron had their attention focused on Hagrid and Hermione pretended to do the same as Draco surveyed them keenly across the clearing. He seemed satisfied that he was not observed, pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and then set off deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

Hermione was amazed – Draco's reluctance to go into the Forest and the fear he had shown on previous visits was well known. It might be Midday but that did not make the forest any less dangerous.

"Um Hagrid, can I use your …" "Of course 'Mione, this cold does get to you doesn't it? It's round the back."

Hermione set off for the hut but bypassed it and headed into the forest. She was able to move swiftly, the pines grew thinly here and a thick carpet of needles cushioned her footfalls.

She soon caught sight of Draco moving through the gloom and was drawing near to him, when a tall hooded and cloaked figure stepped out from behind the thick trunk of a tree and accosted Draco. The figure took hold of the boy's upper arm and began to draw him deeper into the forest.

Hermione's heart was hammering in her chest. What was she doing here – out of call of Hagrid or her friends? This had now gone beyond a schoolboy prank; there was an outsider involved – was Draco selling Potion ingredients?

Hermione knew she should turn back but she now felt a perverse sense of concern for Draco too.

She continued to follow the pair at a distance, watching her step across the uneven ground.

Finally the two figures came to a halt in a clearing caused by a fallen tree, which allowed a few weak rays of sunshine to pierce the gloom.

Draco turned to the taller figure, which had released his arm and now stood looking at him. The young Slytherin raised his hands to his hood and pushed it back, the sunshine bringing a gleam to his hair and illuminating a nervous smile on his face.

The other figure raised his gloved hands and dropped his hood revealing a matching head of white-blond hair falling in long tresses onto his shoulders.

It was an impossible sight.

It was Lucius Malfoy.

TBC

Authors Note: Sorry,sorry – please indulge a first time author with a cliff-hanger.

(Although looking at my chapter sketches there are a few more ahead.)

I had to use the setting of Hagrid's Hut from the film version of POA – it's just so interesting.

Thanks to my reviewers especially **Vickie211** who has reviewed each chapter.

**EternalDreamerEnchanted:** I suppose that this story is a Romance although a very warped version of one. It will take a dramatic twist to get Severus and Hermione to fall into each-others arms but oh boy will he fall!


	5. Meetings and Puzzles

A Fate Worse Than Death

By West Dean

Disclaimer as per previous chapters.

Chapter Five: Meetings and Puzzles.

As the shock of recognition sank in, Hermione shrank back against the mossy bark of a small pine tree. She peered carefully through a frond of hanging pine needles, trying hard not to dislodge the snow, and watched the scene unfolding before her.

Lucius and Draco Malfoy exchanged a brief and awkward embrace. Then the younger Slytherin swung the heavy backpack off his shoulders and set it on the snow-covered floor of the forest. Father and son knelt carefully on either side of the bag and Draco now appeared to be showing the contents to Lucius, lifting various containers and bottles up to display them.

Lucius Malfoy's hair gleamed in the weak winter sunshine, but there was no doubt that he was displaying signs of having been in Azkaban .His face was paler than usual, the fine cheekbones were more prominent and the grey eyes more lined. Azkaban might now be without its Dementors but that had obviously not made the experience of being incarcerated there any more pleasant.

He was however, clearly very pleased with his son – he smiled and reached out a gloved hand to pat him gently on one cheek.

All this time Hermione was trying to calm the beating of her heart and puzzle out the scene before her.

What was Lucius Malfoy doing here in the Forbidden Forest? He was supposedly in Azkaban, guarded by top Aurors, handpicked by the Ministry of Magic to guard the dangerous prisoners ever since the defection of the Dementors some months before.

If he had escaped it would have been in the '_Daily Prophet_', '_The Quibbler _'and every other wizarding publication. Even '_Witch Weekly _'would have cleared its front page, of knitting charms for that "Special Jumper that shows you Care", of the latest Beauty Potions "Guaranteed to knock 120 years off your age!" and pictures of the latest "hot" wizard, in order to warn its readers.

The news would have been all over Hogwarts and Draco would surely have been at the centre of all the speculation. The Order of the Phoenix would also have been seriously concerned at such a breakout – long feared by Dumbledore – and Hermione would surely have been informed of a meeting having taking place to discuss the implications.

The last time that Hermione had seen Lucius Malfoy had been in the depths of the Department of Mysteries the previous summer. He had been ordering the Death Eaters under his command to seize Harry and the precious prophecy and to kill all of his friends, Hermione included. It had so nearly come to that.

She remembered heavy books tumbling about her head and shoulders, but still managing to throw a _Silencio _charm, then Harry successfully petrifying a Death Eater – and then a slice of magic had cut through her chest leaving only a memory of icy cold.

A movement in the glade brought her back to herself.

Draco had now retied the bindings of the backpack and was handing it to his Father. What did the elder Malfoy want with the ingredients for a Love Potion? She could understand why Lucius might come to Draco for _rare_ Potion ingredients. He could hardly wander into Knockturn Alley or visit any other wizarding suppliers as an escaped fugitive, but why these particular ones – was he taking them to Voldemort or was he acting independently?

Did Snape know he was free? She reproached herself immediately for _that _thought. Snape had always had Dumbledore's trust and, despite Ron or Harry's misgivings, had never betrayed it. She knew this deep in her heart and had constantly defended him for it although his treatment of her had always been so abysmal.

This meeting between the two Malfoys was therefore a direct indication that Draco had _known_ that Snape had been called away to Voldemort's side on the night of the Full Moon. More importantly, that Lucius had not wanted Snape to know either that he was free or that he was after Potion supplies. Surely he otherwise would have contacted him directly Death Eater to Death Eater or even as a friend in a time of need? She remembered the detestable Umbridge mentioning that Lucius always praised Snape to the Ministry.

Didn't this also suggest that Snape might have been compromised in his vital role as spy against Voldemort?

SsHGss

Lucius now took up the backpack and, with a last look at Draco, set off into the depths of the forest. Draco watched until he was out of sight and then turned back in the direction of Hogwarts, passing near to the tree where Hermione was hiding.

There was a sad smile on his face and a solitary tear on his cheek. This shook Hermione who had only seen Draco responding with anger to the imprisonment of his father, and indeed with hatred towards Harry. She had not really considered that he might truly miss him.

Hermione watched Draco's figure disappear into the distance. She realised that she was trembling violently, partly from the cold, from the shock of seeing Lucius and the memories that seeing him had brought back. She headed back towards the edge of the forest making sure that Draco stayed far ahead.

ssHGss

The teaching glade was now empty but Hermione could make out the heavy tread of Hagrid's beaver-skin boots across the snow, accompanied by two smaller sets of footprints, and followed them towards Hagrid's hut. She knocked on the door with trembling hands and it was immediately swung open by the half giant.

"Hermione! There yeh're. I was about ter send Fang out ter get yeh."

She found herself ushered towards the roaring fire, a somewhat smelly blanket draped around her shoulders and a huge chipped mug of stewed tea placed in her hands. Harry and Ron were already sitting in the fireside settles clutching mugs of tea. Ron was carefully trying to move the slobbering head of Fang off his foot and both of the boys were giving her puzzled looks.

" T-Too Many Layers." Hermione stuttered, a reply to their unspoken query, guaranteed to stop any male asking further questions of a girl who had spent too long on a trip to the bathroom.

Hermione sipped her tea and tried to get her thoughts and trembling under control. The surroundings of the cosy hut were already helping her to relax a little. She allowed the chatter of Hagrid and the boys to wash over her and spent a moment just inhaling the familiar fuggy atmosphere. A mixture of wood smoke, wet boarhound and a gamy smell that originated in the pheasants, hams and other unfamiliar shapes hanging from the ceiling reminded her of the many good times that they had shared here with the Hogwarts groundskeeper.

She now looked across at her two best friends deep in conversation with Hagrid. If she told them all what she had just seen only a few hundred yards from where they were now sitting, what would happen? Her imagination suggested that it was most likely that Ron and Harry would hare off into the woods in pursuit of Lucius, possibly accompanied by Hagrid and Fang, but more likely to charge ahead of their protection. This was a risk that she was not prepared to take.

She had to tell someone! The most obvious person was Professor Snape, senior member of the Hogwarts staff and of the Order of the Phoenix. Events suggested that his role in the battle against the Dark had been compromised. She had already told him of the theft of the ingredients – perhaps he had already traced this to Draco and was ready to take action. It was surely vital that she tell him that possible Death Eater activity was going on without his knowledge and that one of the young students in his charge was now ensnared deeply in a deadly game.

Unfortunately the image rose to her mind's eye of the curl of his thin lips, the sneer in his silken voice and the coldness of his black eyes as he had cast aspersions on her sexual experience at the door of his office. She definitely could not face an encounter with an antagonistic Snape so soon after _that _comment.

Why did he dislike her so much? Was it because she was a Gryffindor? A friend of Harry Potter? Or was it because she constantly undermined his attempts to intimidate the students over their lack of Potions knowledge compared to his own?

It was a shame because, at the bottom of Hermione's heart, hidden as an unswerving defence of a Professor in the face of his faults - as with Gilderoy Lockhart long ago - Hermione _liked _the Potions master.

She often finished her Potions task long before the other students in the dungeon and had frequently passed the time by speculating on the powerful wizard who commanded such obedience from the students. She had only had glimpses of his magical power used directly in spell casting but many examples of his Potions skills. How powerful a wizard he must be to walk the Forbidden Forest alone at night or to face the wizard whose mere mark had sent people fleeing in panic at the Quidditch World Cup.

What would he be like without the sneer, the ability to only apparently feel the emotions of anger, jealousy, frustration or hatred?

She speculated on what he would be like if he could express the emotions of kindness, affection or even …love. What would those amazing hands of his feel like? At this point Snape yelling a waspish rebuke at a hapless student usually dispelled her daydream and she would concentrate on tidying her work area and try to hide her blushes.

So who should she go to with the knowledge that was burning inside her?

There was, of course, the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, but he had rarely been in the School lately and almost seemed to be avoiding Harry and his friends when he _was_ present.

Suddenly she thought of the perfect person to tell about her forest adventure and almost breathed an audible sigh of relief.

Hagrid proffering a bowl of some sort of stew to her disrupted her musing.

"Try this 'Mione. It's ready so yeh don't have to trek up ter the school fer a bite ter eat."

The steaming bowl appeared to contain some sort of meat but had a strange aroma. Hermione sniffed at it cautiously and Hagrid chuckled.

"Ah! Yeh've smelt the special ingredient. I've added the slug milk, gives it an extra special tang."

_Oh No!_ "That's lovely, Hagrid." Hermione murmured weakly, taking the bowl and a rather grubby spoon.

ssHGss

Lessons had just ended for the afternoon and although Hermione was famished and longingly thinking of the Great Hall - she had only sipped at Hagrid's latest culinary masterpiece while exchanging horrified looks with Ron and Harry - she had made her way as quickly as she could to the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom.

She knocked and entered and, as she had hoped, Remus Lupin was still there engaged in packing the last green spindly fingers of an escaped Grindylow back in its tank. Splashes of water on the floor and the general disarray of the classroom indicated that a group of third years had come off worst at the little creature's hands

"Hermione! An unexpected pleasure." The sandy haired teacher smiled at her, his lined and scarred face breaking into the nearest that he ever gave to a smile these days.

Hermione had put what was almost too cheerful an expression on her face as she normally did nowadays when greeting Remus. There was a palpable air of sadness that had hung about him ever since the loss of Sirius the previous summer. Harry, once he had been able to talk a little to Ron and Hermione about what had happened in the room of the Veil, had told them how broken Remus had seemed after the event. Hermione, who had been quietly watching the DADA Professor with concern since his return to Hogwarts, guessed that this was due to much more than just grieving the loss of a friend, fellow Marauder and outcast. She suspected that they had been lovers too.

"Um – Professor Lupin."

"Call me Lupin outside school hours Hermione, I think we've been in too many scrapes together now to need to be formal."Lupin sat on the edge of a desk as Hermione approached him.

"Lupin, I saw Lucius Malfoy in the Forbidden Forest today! He was receiving Potion ingredients from Draco that were stolen from Professor Snape." Her pent up news tumbled from her breathlessly.

"Whoah! Slow down a little Hermione. Did you say Lucius Malfoy – that is impossible, he's in Azkaban. You had better start at the beginning. Perch yourself on this desk and tell me all the details."

Under Lupin's reassuring gaze Hermione told the whole story, starting with her trip to the Dungeons on the night of the full moon. She carefully omitted Neville's role and the way in which Snape had later dismissed her from his office.

Lupin frowned at her when she had finished.

"I will check the situation in Azkaban immediately through the Order. Tonks is probably best placed to check this out.

"This is bad news Hermione. Malfoy must have escaped a few days ago as it looks as though he's been in contact with Draco for a while. Don't tell me that the Ministry of Magic has made another major cock-up.

"I'll warn Snape to be on his guard and to keep an eye on Draco. It may be a good idea for me to also let Harry and Ron know what has been happening. I suspect they will be upset with you for not telling them what has been worrying you these past few days so I'll find a way of telling them without bringing up your involvement."

Lupin now looked at Hermione with a far too appraising a gaze for her liking.

"You have been taking risks Hermione, even though I understand your reasons. But you've had a few unnerving and anxious days and still seem a little shocked from this morning's events. Well I can do something about that."

He slid off the desk and motioned her to follow him up the stairs to his office where a few moments rummaging in a drawer produced that most powerful of remedies against the Dark Arts – a large slab of Honeydukes best chocolate.

Hermione soon had a comforting mouthful of chocolate. Her evident hunger was bringing a smile to Lupin's face. His guess about how anxious she had been about what she had seen in the Forest had been very near the mark. She had also dreaded Harry and Ron finding out that she had been keeping such an exciting secret from them, especially as Harry had forcefully declared that he had "had it with people keeping secrets from me!"

"What I really don't understand is the Love Potion bit?" She mumbled, spraying chocolate crumbs everywhere

"Well, Professor Snape is _assuming_ that it is a Love Potion based on his knowledge of the ingredients and his long experience with the students. It is possible however that it could be something else. I'm afraid I'm no expert in this field – answers might be found in the Library though I suspect it would be the Restricted Section." Lupin was looking at her again, his eyes serious.

"I have an idea that might help you cope with your anxiety while I'm making a few enquiries. I know that your first response to tackling a crisis is usually to head for the Library." He was smiling gently at her and not making fun of her propensity to grab every book in sight to solve problems. "It has served us all very well in the past. The Order of the Phoenix is stretched very thinly at the moment and I think I can safely assign you the task of checking the nature of the Potion that Malfoy may be intent on creating."

Lupin now reached for a small role of parchment and a quill and scribbled a few lines before presenting it to Hermione. She unrolled the parchment to reveal an open pass to the Restricted Section of the Library and gasped.

"I am aware how rare a privilege this is, but you are among the most trustworthy of students and I know you will not abuse this. If Madame Pince raises objections to it please direct her to me. I do suggest that Professor Snape remains unaware of your research otherwise I suspect we will both be the subject of some withering scorn."

Hermione left Lupin's classroom with his promise to take immediate action on what she had told him ringing in her ears. That took care of the Snape problem she thought to herself.

The precious piece of parchment was clutched in her hand and she meant to make good use of it straight away. Pausing only to grab a sandwich in the Great Hall, Hermione headed purposefully in the direction of the Library.

T.B.C.


	6. The Order of the Phoenix

A Fate Worse Than Death

By West Dean

Disclaimer as per previous chapters.

Chapter Six: The Order of the Phoenix

Hermione attempted to stifle a yawn and a growing sense of disappointment.

She was spending yet another lunchtime sitting at the study desk in the Restricted Section of the Library. Ancient books of Dark Magic were piled up before her but she was becoming frustrated and despondent. This was not what she had been expecting when she had first entered the Library four days ago with Lupin's open pass.

Madame Pince had scrutinised the piece of parchment for long drawn out minutes.

Her lips had grown more and more pursed and her eyes had narrowed until Hermione had been afraid that her precious pass would burst into flames under her glare.

Eventually she had brusquely beckoned Hermione to follow her and with clear reluctance had raised the rope to the Restricted Section and had shown the student the study desk and how the restricted classifications worked. Even Hermione's status as a perfect library user had not helped her win the Librarian's favour in _this_ matter.

The classification system had been the start of her problems. Remus Lupin had not exactly been putting Hogwarts at risk by letting Hermione loose in the Restricted Section, as it turned out that there were further protections against foolhardy students.

The most dangerous books of Dark Magic had their own personal wards. A small faded notice pinned to the wall highlighted the even more faded sigils carved into the shelves beside certain books, indicating that they would yell or even bite back if disturbed without the correct counter-spells being used. These were naturally in the possession of the appropriate Heads of Department. This meant that if Hermione wanted the darkest of the Potions books she would have to see Professor Snape. No wonder Harry had run into trouble when he had attempted to look at the books in the dark while wearing an invisibility cloak.

So although she was free to search among a thousand years of wizarding knowledge, she suspected that the information she really wanted was still tantalisingly out of her reach. She had come to this conclusion after several long sessions of combing through the Dark Magic books that she _could_ access.

She had made a list of the Potion ingredients that Snape had mentioned on a large piece of parchment. As she read through book after book of ancient magic she had written the various Potions that she had found each substance being used in beside them. The parchment was now covered with lines criss-crossing between ingredients and Potions. Various patterns had quickly emerged and she now had a number of Potions that used all the ingredients in various combinations.

She had soon come across the _Amor Velox _Potion which she was sure was the one that Snape had been thinking of. He had been correct in thinking that Hermione could easily brew this one. It was a typical student prank potion although she was unsettled by how strong the effects could be.

Her instincts told her that Malfoy was after something even more powerful. All the Potions highlighted on the parchment were capable of inducing various degrees of lust, love or affection - some much stronger than others. A more disturbing pattern was emerging – these particular items were very _reactive. _The darker the spells, artefacts or other items used with them, the stronger the pull between the two people who used it would be. Some of the Potions seemed to indicate that the physical and mental attraction that they induced could be binding in their effects, even involving the control of a person's magic.

Hence her desire to access the darkest of the books – she strongly suspected that using a particular ritual or artefact of Dark magic could create a substance that would utterly enthral the one who took it.

It was so frustrating and her anxiety was building that Lucius Malfoy was really up to no good. Hermione knew that Lucius had access to Dark Magic artefacts; Arthur Weasley had mentioned this repeatedly. She really needed to talk to someone about this to confirm her suspicions. She had not seen Lupin since her visit to his office and was still unwilling to ask Snape.

She now heard footsteps coming up the aisle towards her and raised her head from _Lustiger Zaubertranken_ (on long term loan from Durmstrang), expecting to see Madame Pince. The Librarian had made a habit of appearing every ten minutes or so while Hermione had been here, always looking as though she was expecting to find that Hermione had evolved into a Death eater.

To her surprise it was Professor McGonagall, who appeared to be rather unhappy to find her student seated among the aisles of Dark Magic.

"There you are Miss Granger. Professor Lupin said you would be here but I hadn't really expected it. Could you come to my office at the end of school hours today?

Don't worry child, you are not in trouble." The stern faced teacher gave a slight smile at Hermione's anxious look. "All will be explained when you arrive."

McGonagall swept away leaving Hermione troubled indeed, – why seek her out?

A note in the Common Room or one of her lessons would have been enough. It looked as though Supper might be delayed so she put away the heap of books and went in search of Lunch.

SsHGss

Later that afternoon Hermione made her way to the Transfiguration Professor's office. As she approached the office door she was surprised to see Harry and Ron coming along the corridor from the other direction.

"McGonagall asked you to come to her office too?" Said Harry. "She came up to us at lunchtime. I wonder what this is about?"

They knocked and went in and stopped dead at the sight that met their eyes.

Professor McGonagall was not there but seated at her desk, resplendent in blue robes that amplified the whiteness of his beard, was Albus Dumbledore. He smiled reassuringly at them while helping himself to a Ginger Newt out of a tartan biscuit tin.

Even more disconcerting, standing at the back of the office leaning against the bookshelves with his arms crossed and his black robes folded closely about his slender body, was Severus Snape. His black eyes regarded them without expression. Remus Lupin was there too, he was sitting casually on a small side desk trying vainly to silence a miniature pair of bagpipes that had burst into a tiny wailing song and were trying to wriggle out of his fingers.

Was it Hermione's imagination or did the gazes of all three adults linger more on her than on the others?

"Come in children and please sit down." Dumbledore indicated three seats drawn up in front of the desk. They sat, looks of puzzlement plain on all three faces.

"Welcome to the first Hogwarts meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. A Sub committee if you like. All the members present in Hogwarts are now here with the exception of Professor McGonagall, who is covering for our absence. It was thought prudent not to hold it in my office, as I believe that our comings and goings would attract too much unwelcome attention.

"The reason for this meeting? I am aware that although you are distanced from the activities of the Order of the Phoenix, you are still prone to the anxieties that beset us all. Even more so, in fact, as you are unable to take any action to calm any fears that you may have about what Voldemort and his followers may be up to. My neglect of such fears in the past have led to tragedy and near disaster as I freely admit."

The unspoken name of Sirius Black hung in the air.

"In recognition of this we have decided," he indicated Snape and Lupin, "to hold a meeting here in Hogwarts to bring you up to date with the Order information that can be freely circulated. And further, to devise ways to help you cope with the burdens that are placed upon you."

The effect of his words was like a spark of muggle electricity. Harry had a fierce grin upon his face as he looked at Dumbledore, as though some promise that had been made to him was coming true. Ron was obviously interested but the lack of Order involvement clearly hadn't bothered him very much. Hermione was grinning inside. _Clever Remus_! Lupin and Dumbledore had clearly thought up a way of letting Harry and Ron know about the threat of Lucius Malfoy and the theft of the potion ingredients without involving Hermione. A meeting so soon after she had seen Lupin suggested that the escape of Lucius was about to be confirmed and that they would hear of plans to counter this new threat both inside and outside of Hogwarts.

She looked over at Snape standing in the shadows in the corner of the office. _Hah_ – a little voice shouted inside her, _See I was right. Draco, your favoured student has gone behind your back, your dear old friend is sneaking about and I've probably saved your life if Voldemort was also involved. _Oh how she wished she could say that aloud to his face. It would be a sweet little revenge for the way in which he had dismissed her.

Snape was looking directly at her and his expression was not that of someone grateful to have been given information about a possible mortal threat. In fact in anyone but Snape she would have described it as a look of concern. He quickly looked away as Dumbledore began to speak again.

"Let us quickly proceed before we miss the arrival of Supper in the Great Hall.

"Firstly Professor Snape will outline what he has learned from the last Death eater meeting and current developments from what I might call the front line against Voldemort. I will follow that with information on the activities of members of the Order and Professor Lupin will conclude with the situation at present in Hogwarts."

The excitement among the three young Order members was now palpable, as they had never expected this.

Snape now moved up to stand beside Dumbledore at the desk, his arms still firmly folded.

"As you are no doubt aware I attended a meeting of the Death eaters on the night of the Full Moon. The Dark Lord often chooses his meeting times to be in synchronicity with the phases of the Moon, which is useful knowledge for us. He announced that a new scheme, that would increase his magical powers and eventually lead to an unshakable dominance over the magical world, would come into play on the night of the New Moon, which is now four days away. Unfortunately what this scheme involves is unclear- since his recent disappointments the Dark Lord has kept his plans close to himself and has not shared information with _any_ of his followers."

Snape sounded frustrated.

"The Order remains in the dark about this apparent plot and a further annoyance involves the fact that we are still unable to determine where the Dark Lord is currently hiding. It is obviously an old muggle house but he is very careful not to let the Death eaters know where it is located. The property is heavily warded with obscure spells that even I am struggling to understand – there are certainly anti-apparition, anti-disillusionment and other standard protections but also something that dampens wand magic, presumably this indicates a lack of trust in his followers. This means that the forces of the Light are forced to remain on the defensive. In the face of this new threat it is vital that we discover a way in which Headmaster Dumbledore and the Order can meet the challenge, our eventual objective will be to go on the attack."

Hermione was listening with total fascination; she had never heard Snape talking about his role in the Order before. She was amazed at the passion in his voice. But she was also becoming puzzled. _You do know! _She was saying to herself. _This new plot _must_ involve the escape of Lucius Malfoy and a Potion. If Voldemort is behind it then it is even worse than I ever imagined._

Snape continued, "Our only recent success has been connected with the fact that the Dark Lord has been trying to regain more of his _humanity. _To this end _I _have been supplying him with appropriate regenerative Potions. These have had to be very skilled in order not to interfere with the mesh of magic that effectively holds him together. It has been possible to slow the Dark Lord's progress and introduce side effects that have required frequent sessions of treatment, allowing me to visit his location and search for weaknesses. In conclusion the next meeting may be a vital event for which we must be prepared."

Snape stepped back, his eyes daring the students not to show him respect for what he had revealed. It was not necessary; Hermione, Ron and even Harry were totally awed at the revelation of the risks that he was taking.

Dumbledore next spoke outlining what various members of the Order were currently up to. There had been a lot more discreet trailing of suspected Death eaters and much more involvement within the Ministry of Magic, attempting to galvanise its activity against Voldemort and keeping an eye on suspected influence over the various Departments by supporters of the Dark Lord. Hermione really pricked up her ears when he reached the monitoring of Azkaban.

"This is still proving to be a real Ministry weak spot. The Dementors have switched allegiance as expected and we are even not sure of the true loyalty of all the Aurors that have been appointed there. Ministry checks could easily have been fooled.

We are sure that Voldemort will want to recover the captured Death eaters as they are among his most trusted followers. Miss Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt have placed themselves in a good position to monitor activity there and it looks as though Voldemort has not yet made a move. We are hoping to get some information from the likes of Lucius Malfoy and although very defiant at first, he has been rather quiet these last couple of weeks. Perhaps he is considering his position and may be willing to talk at last. Kingsley visited him yesterday with an offer from the Ministry and we shall wait and see."

Hermione was thunderstruck – Dumbledore had clearly emphasised the name of _Lucius Malfoy _and the word _yesterday._ But it was impossible that he could still be imprisoned in Azkaban – she had seen him in the Forbidden Forest from a distance of just a few yards.

She looked numbly at the three Professors and there was now no doubt that they were watching her reaction. _Great Merlin – they think I've been having a hallucination or something! _Thoughts began tumbling rapidly through her head – _Is this why they have called this meeting to see how I will react to the news that Lucius Malfoy is still in Azkaban? Do they think I've been affected by stress or that I'm acting under some sort of confundus charm? Snape doesn't believe me – none of them do. But I really saw Draco in the Dungeon and the Forest and the Potion ingredients really went missing. This must be connected to Voldemort._

She knew her confusion must have been showing in her face. Ron and Harry were looking puzzled as though they were aware that something was going on.

Lupin now spoke from where he was sitting on the desk.

"One of the reasons that _I_ have returned to Hogwarts, against the wishes of the Ministry, was to keep an eye on possible infiltration and interference with the School from either Voldemort or the Ministry of Magic. The only incident of recent concern has been a theft of Potion ingredients from Professor Snape's office." Harry and Ron looked interested. Hermione felt that this was her last chance to prove that she had not been dreaming the events of the past few days.

"This incident has had a satisfactory resolution – following a tip off, Professor Snape caught Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson in the middle of brewing an _Amor Velox_ Potion in a disused classroom four days ago and has recovered the missing ingredients." Ron and Harry looked positively gleeful at this news.

Hermione felt as though she had been hit with a Bludger. _Damn it!_ – Her intuition told her that Draco had obviously arranged an alibi to cover his trip to the Forest and the theft of the ingredients. He had even gone so far as to allow himself to be caught by his Head of House. She had _seen_ Draco arranging this with Pansy. But now she was the only person who believed it.

But - perhaps she _had_ imagined it all? Had the continuing threat of Voldemort or the dangerous situations that she kept finding herself involved in begun to seriously affect her? Had she read too much into Draco's activities because he was Lucius Malfoy's son? She was starting to feel unsure of herself. What was going to happen now? She knew that the three adults were watching her. Perhaps they all thought she was suffering a nervous breakdown. Brought on by too much study and the stress of being Harry Potters friend? She felt faint.

Dumbledore now spoke. "Now we are up to date it is clear that we need to help you prepare even more for possible events ahead. I know that you all have heavy study schedules but I think that you will find a little extension of your studies _beyond _the school curriculum a useful remedy for stress and even a form of relaxation.

"Harry, as you all know, has been studying Advanced Defensive magic and continuing to practice his Occlumency with Professor Lupin. I think it is appropriate to bring out into the open his study of Offensive magic too." Hermione and Ron stared at Harry who managed to look a little apologetic.

"Miss Granger, Mr Weasley I apologise for a lack of recognition of your position as Harry's friends, which may have rendered you vulnerable to Voldemort in ways that we have not yet have considered. I think that it is time to develop _your_ Defensive magic to a new level as well. Also Professor Snape has kindly consented to teach you both Occlumency, which will assist Harry in mastering this vital skill."

This was the final blow to Hermione's shattered composure. She felt that she might burst into tears at any moment and find herself being propelled in the direction of the Hospital wing. She knew from talking to Harry that his Occlumency lessons had not just been about helping him to protect his mind from Voldemort, they had also allowed Snape to get glimpses of what had been bothering him last year, in particular the vision of the Department of Mysteries.

Under Snape's use of Legilimency she felt that Dumbledore must be planning to check _her_ state of mind before taking further action to help what was obviously to _him_ a student in distress. Even worse - Snape would surely find out what she really thought about him, as she knew it was possible to extract feelings as well as memories from another person's mind.

Snape had moved around the desk and now stood before Ron and Hermione. Ron had a look wavering between outright panic and pure horror on his face as he stared up at Snape. He clearly remembered the state Harry had come back in after one of _those_ sessions. Hermione did not even want to look up into those gleaming black eyes. She did not want to see his expression if he thought her now to be suffering from delusions.

She heard his smooth silky voice above her.

"Mr Weasley, Miss Granger I will expect you in my office this evening at six o'clock and seven o'clock respectively."

He swept past them, his robes flapping and vanished through the office door.

Harry was glaring at Dumbledore. Remus Lupin had turned a concerned gaze on Hermione. She was staring at the floor, hearing what could only be Ron's faint whimpers, and trying to resist the urge to stuff her robes in her mouth to stop the wails that she could feel rising in _her_ throat. She was also fighting a strong desire to flee the office and possibly throw herself into the Hogwarts Lake to prevent the unpleasant event now looming on the horizon.

""Well I think that went as well as could be expected," said Dumbledore looking around and smiling at all of them. "Anyone for a Sherbet Lemon?"

TBC

Authors Note: I must be Evil - I enjoyed writing that! This little story was originally going to be a wallow in Snape angst, my favourite sort of Harry Potter Fic, with Hermione being swept helplessly along the way but somehow I've started torturing the poor girl too! It's not going to stop either – next up is Occlumency with Snape –neither of them is going to enjoy that and Lucius Malfoy is ready to strike as well!

I apologise for the persona of Dumbledore at the end but the insane glove puppet Dumbledore from Potterpuppetpals popped into my head and demanded to finish the scene.

Another Thank You to my kind reviewers – seeing the e-mails pop up really spurs me on to writing the next Chapter!

**Caeria: **I like your suggestion and will try and write in a nice and sweet "I told you so" into the story (as opposed to the mean one above!) Any other suggestions from readers are most welcome.


	7. Occlumency With Snape

A Fate Worse Than Death

By West Dean.

Chapter Seven: Occlumency with Snape

Authors Note: Wandering P.O.V.s ahead

Harry was sitting in one of the squashy armchairs by the side of the fire in the Gryffindor Common room. Around him swirled a buzz of movement and noise as fellow members of Gryffindor House finished homework, played games or just simply mucked about. He was ignoring them completely, his attention riveted on the silent form of the young woman sitting in the armchair on the other side of the fireplace.

He had just finished explaining all that he could remember about Occlumency. This had included the unpleasant memories of his lessons with Snape, especially the Potions master's tendency to attack with Legilimency before you were ready. But Hermione, to his growing alarm, had simply not responded and had merely continued to stare into the fire.

They were waiting for Ron to return from his lesson and Harry had expected her to use this time to question him closely, preparing herself for the possible ordeal ahead. He was becoming worried by her attitude. She was looking anxious, her hands clenched in her lap and Crookshanks had been sent away with a nudge of her foot when he had turned up looking for a warm place to sit.

It now occurred to him that she had been looking anxious for days –that was when they had actually seen her. Her usual heavy study schedules and the different classes that they now all took meant that the three friends usually met most commonly for meals, but Hermione had even been skipping these.

In fact he felt he could trace this more careworn version of Hermione back as far as the night when she had brightly set off to rescue Neville. Had something happened that she had not told them about? And why had she looked so confused during the meeting this afternoon with Dumbledore? She had not seemed to be pleased by _any_ of the information that they had been given, not even about Draco and the Love Potion, although he could not blame her for taking the news that she was about to get Snape for Occlumency with anything but deep dismay. Harry instinctively felt that this situation had something to do with his hated Potions master. Another thing that he could hold against the man.

His musing was interrupted by the long anticipated arrival of Ron back through the Portrait Hole. His friend had a miserable expression on his face and Harry could swear that even his freckles had gone pale. He jumped up to give his armchair to Ron who collapsed into it.

"Ooh Harry! That was _horrible_!"

Harry couldn't help but smile grimly at Ron's woebegone expression and the groan in his voice. He remembered _that_ experience all right!

"The Greasy Git got an eyeful of everything I've ever got up to with Fred and George. If he ever tells Mum I'll be howled all the way home. Fred and George are going to kill me! I've got bruises on my knees from slamming onto the floor – I didn't manage to stop him at all."

"Don't worry Ron, as far as I know Snape has never used what he saw in my mind against me (except for telling Dumbledore.) He must regard it as some point of honour that separates him from the likes of Vold…."

"Sssh! Don't say that name, all I need is to start thinking about _him._ I've got such a headache, I'm just glad I've escaped alive – Oh sorry Hermione. You've been so quiet, I didn't see you there."

The great tower bell of Hogwarts rang the three-quarter chime loudly enough to penetrate even the noisy Common Room. Hermione looked at her two friends with a rather glazed expression and stood up, it was going to take fifteen minutes to walk down to the Dungeons. She headed for the Portrait Hole seemingly unaware of the concerned gaze of her friends behind her.

ssHGss

A few minutes later Hermione approached the door of Snape's office. The last time that she had stood here had been when - _No! Don't think about it – Legilimency uncovers emotions and memories._

She tried to gather her composure but was not helped by Lady Serena coming to the front of her portrait and smirking at her from across the corridor.

_What cheek!_ _You've been fooled too. _Hermione_ s_tuck out her tongue fiercely at the sorceress before knocking on the door.

Hermione _had_ been trying to calm herself and get her thoughts into order. She _had_ been trying to listen to Harry but two hours had proved too little time to get herself clear in her own mind. She no longer doubted herself, although her normal feelings of insecurity guaranteed that a slight sense of uncertainty still lingered. She was struggling to work towards some sort of answer to the difference between what she _knew _shehad seen and what had been reported at the meeting. Now she was about to face a teacher who already thought her an overreaching Know-it-all and now seemed to have reason to believe that she had inflated a student prank into a threat to the magical world. She was really not looking forward to this.

SsHGss

"Come in girl! Don't stand there gawking at the door. I wish you to stand just _there_ at the edge of _that_ rug."

Hermione crossed Snape's office to where he was indicating that she should stand. A thick, richly coloured rug now lay before Snape's desk. She looked up into the cold black eyes of her Professor as he stood on the other side.

"After the debacle with Mr Weasley I thought it prudent to transfigure something to cushion the floor. I can do without attracting the wrath of Madame Pomfrey"

So he thought she would collapse did he? A spark of anger went through her despite all her attempts to keep her feelings in check. _Don't lose it! Keep calm, Hermione, keep calm._ She was saying to herself. O_therwise he will see everything in your mind._

She quickly glanced around Snape's office avoiding his judgemental look. A fire was burning in the small fireplace, an acknowledgement of the bitter cold that still gripped Hogwarts. Glints of firelight sparkled from the hundreds of jars that lined the walls, which always gave Snape's working area the look of the lair of a mad muggle scientist rather than a teacher. It really did not help the impression of a sinister recluse that he gave to the students, although Hermione had always wondered if this was a façade.

The most noticeable object stood on a nearby shelf – the intricately carved stone Penseive that currently glowed faintly with the thoughts of the man in front of her. She had tried to get Harry to tell her about this amazing device but he had recently been infuriatingly guarded about talking about it and even seemed ashamed of his knowledge – so she had remained intrigued.

"If you would _care_ to pay attention!" Snape said acidly, causing Hermione to jump. _I'm so distracted_. _I must clear my mind. _She thought desperately.

"No doubt……_no doubt _you will have questioned Potter on his small sum of knowledge of the arts of Occlumency and Legilimency. I also expect you have scoured the Library for what little material there is but it bears repeating as I have said to your fellow _Gryffindors _what this subject is about. Occlumency is the branch of magic that seals the mind against magical invasion and manipulation. Legilimency is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another's mind. Both arts usually require eye contact; both are influenced by the possession of strong feelings or _lack _of them. As in so many branches of magic the ability to suppress emotion is _crucial _to their mastery. Any questions?"

"Professor – is it possible for you to read a specific memory if the person practising Occlumency keeps it at the front of their mind and suppresses all others?"

"That is the true skill of Occlumency – master that and you can tell untruths to the Dark Lord himself. Is there _something_ that you particularly wish me to see? I must warn you Miss Granger that it requires skill – lose control of your emotions and all that will be revealed is a useless maelstrom of images and feelings that even I am unable to read."

They both looked at each other having reached a moment of perfect understanding. Snape was eager to draw out the memory of her encounter with Lucius and Hermione was just as willing to reveal it.

"If you are ready, we will proceed. I will now attempt to break into your mind using Legilimency You must maintain eye contact with me and you in turn can use your wand or your mind to defend yourself. I will soon gauge your aptitude. Prepare Miss Granger- _Legilimens!"_

Harry had described an assault by Legilimency as being like watching a reel of muggle celluloid film flicker by, images flashing so quickly that you became unaware of your surroundings. Hermione was prepared for that sensation but Harry had not warned her that the images were accompanied by _sound or _that she would _feel _every emotion associated with that memory. As someone who was normally good at controlling her emotions this raw assault quickly wore down her defences.

Images flashed through her mind accompanied by the burst of emotion that had imprinted itself on her memory.

------- She was punching out Emily Fawcett in Year Three of St. Catherine's Primary for dropping her copy of _The Hobbit _in a muddy puddle. It was a smug feeling and Emily's front teeth were already missing. _Oh No! He can go back that far? _

------ Snape was looking down at her lying in a bed in the hospital wing, an amused smirk on his face_. Bloody_ _hell, I've got fur and whiskers ……and a tail!_

------ She was standing in a rose arbour lit by fluttering fairies, held firmly in the arms of Viktor Krum. His lips descended gently to meet hers for the first _real_ kiss of her life. Suddenly the roses were blasted apart and she opened her eyes to see Snape glaring at her. She was running towards the castle, Viktor trying to catch up. "Vare are you going Herm-own-ninny?" he was calling plaintively.

------ She was giving Draco Malfoy a hard slap around the face matched by an enormous feeling of satisfaction. O_h that felt good!_

The flashing stopped, her vision cleared, Hermione was looking into the annoyed face of her teacher.

"That was hopeless Miss Granger. Of the three of you I expected _you_ to be the one most able to control your feelings and to master this skill with some degree of ability. It would appear that I was incorrect. Clear your mind of feelings and memories."

"How am I supposed to do that, Sir? This lesson was sprung on me at two hours notice, no time to prepare or carry out any research on how to do it. It follows a meeting that appears to have been arranged just to show me that I'm either suffering from delusions or going mad."

The words burst from her before she could prevent them. She stood glaring at Snape and breathing heavily.

"Miss Granger." Snape's eyes had narrowed and his voice had sunk to its lowest and most dangerous level. "You exaggerate greatly your importance in the scheme of things. _Potter's_ arrogance appears to be contagious. From where I am standing you appear to be inventing a story to draw attention to yourself – your other intentions appear to be of a malicious nature as you have certainly succeeded in making sure that Draco Malfoy was caught!

"And do you really think that someone who wishes to probe your mind with Legilimency would wait until you've been for a couple of Butterbeers with your little friends? You are an adult witch Miss Granger, living in a time of approaching danger - please humour me by acting as though you understand that. Clear your mind of all emotion – feelings are weakness and the Dark Lord knows how to find the weakest point. Ready? _Legilimens!_"

------- She was standing on a Hogwarts staircase, her right leg sunk to the knee in a trick stair that had appeared overnight. Snape was standing a couple of steps above her, his mouth fixed in a sneer, his voice mocking that the great Know-it-all had been caught out and promising to maybe return in an hour if she hadn't got free – _humiliation!_

------ Her teeth were growing longer every moment to the sound of Draco's laughter and her whimper of panic. They had reached the top of her collar and then Snape was sneering at her! _How could he say that? Does he so despise me? _

_Why is every memory involving Snape – I've got to break free of this but the memories are spinning too fast!_

------- The doors of the Potion Cupboard in Snape's office were open before her. She was desperately trying to find the container of Boomslang skin while trying to keep hold of the other ingredients that she had removed from the cupboard. She was biting her lip with anxiety, her fingers sweaty – she had to hurry. _Must not be caught._

------ She was standing in the corridor outside Snape's office, looking at a closed door, the image of his curled lip and the insult he had just made burning in her memory. _NO – he can't see that, it's too raw- HE CAN'T!_

Hermione found that her fingers were buried deep into the pile of the rug that she had been standing on. Her knees ached from falling hard to the floor, all her limbs were trembling and the blood was pounding through her head. She looked up very slowly, straight into the furious gaze of her Professor. Snape was standing still on the other side of the desk, one hand holding his upright wand, the other fingering a gash across his pale cheek from which blood welled in tiny drops. He was clenching his teeth in rage.

Hermione gulped. _Oh no! I think I know which memory he has seen most clearly. And I've hexed him. I've never lost control of my magic before._

"_So_," he hissed. "It would seem that all these years I have done _Potter_ a disservice and have been made a fool of by the Dream Team. I was sure that _he_ had stolen the ingredients for the _Polyjuice Potion _and all the time it was little Miss Goody Two-shoes here. Miss Granger I had expected..….._better _of you!" Snape actually sounded disappointed.

"Well I suggest that you master the technique of Occlumency with all haste before I uncover any further mischief that you have initiated over the last six years. _Get up_ and prepare yourself."

Hermione slowly got to her feet using the edge of the desk as a support and looked round for her wand that she had let fall. Snape tapped his foot impatiently, his arms crossed, his face still showing his anger.

_I must clear my mind, _was her urgent thought. _I couldn't stop his attack, everything was just pouring out –mixed up memories _and_ emotions. He's not just angry at what he saw but also the fact that he could not look into my mind to see Lucius. It was too disordered. I must try and project a particular image._ _I know that it can be done. It is how Snape has survived as a Death Eater. But now he is angry and is having trouble controlling _his _emotions- I'm not ready._

_Do not think about Snape. Let's see for Supper I had chicken. I didn't like the look of the pea soup, must have been the Leaky Cauldron's recipe, it resembled one of Snape's potions……….Do _not _think about Snape. He thinks I'm making up stories up or does he really think I'm delusional? It's not the first time. He believed me to be confounded when Sirius escaped…….Heavens I'm rambling! _

She retrieved her wand and stood again before the Potions master.

"Ready?" he said tersely "_Legilimens!"_

------ The lawn was bathed in moonlight. Gripped with horror, she watched the form of Professor Lupin begin to stretch and distort into a monster from her deepest nightmares – _There is nowhere to run!_

_------ _She was moving towards Harry, the chaos of a battle all around when a slice of purple death went through her heart.

------She was lying on the ground as a trio of scarlet hexes shattered the windows of Honeydukes sweetshop above her. The sound of Sybil Trelawney screaming made her focus her gaze to where a group of Death Eaters were being met by Harry and other members of the D A. _Harry, No!_

------ She was edging towards the corner of the corridor, a mirror held so tightly in her hand that the edges were cutting her palm. There was a noise like the rustling of enormous scales coming towards her. Trembling she extended the mirror to look around the corner. A rapid glimpse of a huge fanged face and then she knew true terror as cell by cell her body turned to stone.

------ Harry was standing back to back with her at the edge of the Hogwarts Lake. A hundred Dementors were advancing, their robes moving in a wind that did not exist._It's becoming so cold……..so cold._

Her mind fled from the horrors that it was remembering. It looked for a place of gentler recollections

------ She now saw herself sitting in the Potion's Dungeon, her cauldron quietly simmering with its carefully made potion, taking a moment among the bustle of students hurrying to finish their work to watch Snape.

His elegant movements, his graceful hands – the way he radiated power and assurance in the classroom. His beautiful black eyes – _No, I don't want you to see (or _feel) _this moment – go away!_

She pushed with her mind and her magic using instinct rather than art and suddenly was viewing the identical scene but from a different perspective.

----- Hermione was seeing _herself _watched across the classroom by Snape. She was experiencing _his_ feelings of admiration, respect ……._desire?_

"STOP!"

The image vanished. The face of Professor Snape was clear before her once more. He was breathing deeply, his wand flung upwards, a strange expression on his features.

Hermione tried to get her breathing under control. Her legs felt weak and without asking permission she sank into a chair by the side of the desk. _What was that?_ She looked up at Snape who she knew well enough now to recognise when he was trying to conceal his feelings under a false calm.

Snape now spoke coolly as though nothing had just happened.

"I think Miss Granger, that we have both had enough for this evening. We will reconvene for another session in two days time. Please practise clearing your mind of emotions and memories before you go to sleep each night and I expect see some little improvement when we next meet.

Good Night, Miss Granger!"

T.B.C.

Authors Note: This Chapter grew just too big and so has been split into two. "Occlumency with Snape: Part Deux" will be posted in a couple of days.

West Dean


	8. Occlumency With Snape: Part Deux

A Fate Worse Than Death

By West Dean

Disclaimer: As per previous chapters

Chapter Eight: Occlumency with Snape: Part Deux

Authors Note: Apologies for the delay. I was having so much fun writing the next two chapters that I was slow getting round to the final polishing on this one. I hope that you enjoy it!

This chapter is dedicated to **Vickie211 **who recommended this story at WIKTT. You are the best sort of reviewer that a writer can have!

ssHGss

Two evenings later, it was a very different Hermione Granger who was striding down the corridor towards Snape's office. This Hermione had spent the time since the last Occlumency lesson _most _profitably.

She had questioned Harry so exhaustively about his experience of Occlumency and the techniques that he had found most useful, that he had finally claimed a detention to get away. Ron had struggled to think of a similar excuse when Hermione had once more suggested that another session of clearing their minds would be beneficial.

Madame Pince had had to put up with the awful intrusion into her personal domain of Hermione heading towards the Restricted Section again, with a grim look on her face and waving her open pass. This had proved somewhat disappointing. In common with other branches of magic that relied heavily on mental powers there was very little information to be found in the library.

Finally, Parvati had been on the verge of calling for Madame Pomfrey, when no amount of waving of the latest copy of _Pink Owl _under her nose had managed to rouse Hermione from the trance that she had put herself into while sitting cross-legged on the edge of her bed.

The results of her intensive efforts over the two days before her upcoming lesson were that she was now feeling much more positive about facing Snape. She was even going towards Snape's office feeling some degree of confidence in the lesson ahead.

Her newfound assurance had not even been dented by the sight of Ron staggering by her in the dungeon corridor muttering wildly about going straight to bed.

The fact that the deep frost and cold had finally broken, giving way to misty drizzle and faint gleams of sunshine, had also served to lighten her mood. The odd bumblebee had even been seen venturing into the Herbology greenhouses, where it had promptly been eaten.

Hermione had not just intensively practised keeping her mind clear of thoughts and emotions. She had also worked hard on summoning a single memory. She had gone over and over in her head the scene that she had witnessed in the Forbidden Forest. Details such as the way the sun had gleamed on Lucius Malfoy's hair, his smile of satisfaction when Draco had held up the shining jar of glow-worm tails. Even the smell of the snow and the damp moss on the pine trees had been recalled to her memory. She was ready to face Snape again.

Her self-confidence had finally allowed her to think of other aspects of their last meeting. The most obvious was what she had seen in Snape's mind. It had seemed to be, no had truly _felt _like desire…for her!

She knew that there would be no chance to experience that memory again; it would be placed in the Pensieve in any future lesson. But if the emotion she had felt had been true she was puzzling as to why Potions master had never acted upon it in any way. There had never been any sign, word or deed that suggested that he felt that way towards her. In fact the only word for how he _had_ acted towards her over the last couple of years was… rotten. Witness his comments to her on the day that she had told him about the theft of the ingredients – that had just been a typical example.

Surely even a surly, reclusive Potions master would have shown his interest in some manner? Was it because he was her Professor and he perhaps viewed such a relationship as being inappropriate? She had dismissed that thought. Hogwarts School was full of portraits and mementos that clearly illustrated successful relationships between teachers and students, though admittedly most of them seemed to date from a time of war.

Hermione had also pondered if this was what she would see in _any_ male mind viewed through the lens of Legilimancy but had concluded that in that instance she would surely have seen interest in the other girls rather than the "insufferable Know-it-all".

Then there was the other thing. Snape had obviously been aware of what she had seen and felt. And it had changed things between them.

Yesterday afternoon she had been in the dungeon classroom for N.E.W.T. level potions and had become aware that the atmosphere had been subtly different. Snape has posed the question of the importance of the sequence of ingredients in growth potions. Hermione's hand had naturally shot up and (to her utter amazement) Snape had immediately turned in her direction.

"Go ahead Miss Granger, impress us with your knowledge."

Flustered she had outlined the answer, very aware that Ron seated beside her had his jaw dropping with amazement. The rest of the class joined him when Snape, upon hearing her reply, had smoothly said, "Very good Miss Granger, five points _to_ Gryffindor."

For the rest of the lesson she had constantly glanced in his direction aware that never once did he look towards her. It seemed to be on purpose. The Professor and the student appeared to have embarked on a little dance but Hermione was struggling to see the steps.

_Is he teasing me, if such a thing were possible? Or acknowledging our mutual attraction?_

_I wish I had not allowed the Legilimancy. It is such an _intimate _Act of magic. No wonder Snape is so good at Occlumency, he seems to have so many secrets to hide._

Now she was at the door and, pulling herself straight, she knocked and went in. Professor Snape was sitting at his desk, his fingers steepled before him, watching Hermione walk across the room.

"Sit, Miss Granger." He indicated the chair in front of the desk. She sat, trying to relax.

"I trust that you have been practising as I told you. I can _see _that you think you have. I will soon be able to judge how well. It bears repeating that I expect you to become quite proficient at Occlumency, you appear to have a high aptitude for learning. Unusual for a _Gryffindor_ in fact. Legilimancy on the other hand …it takes true mastery to see into a person's mind and interpret what is seen there correctly. Do you understand me?"

"I understand, Professor," Hermione replied. _Yes, I understand you. You want me to dismiss what I saw in your mind as coming from my inexperience at understanding recalled memories. Sorry Professor, I will make a show of it but I still believe what I felt from you to be true._

Snape visibly relaxed at Hermione's verbal agreement. The atmosphere in the room was still different to their last meeting. It occurred to Hermione that Snape now seemed satisfied that the outcome of their last encounter no longer added up to a challenge to his authority. Rather sadly she realised that what Occlumency had revealed about Hermione's feelings towards _him, _he would now probably dismiss as yet another student crush.

"Let us see whether your preparations stand up to a test." Snape had risen smoothly to his feet and pushed back his chair. Hermione did the same, drawing her wand from the pocket of her robes. Snape raised his wand.

"Ready? One, two, three …_Legilimens_!"

……….Lucius Malfoy was looking across the crowded interior of Flourish and Blotts towards her parents. The look on his face made her cringe. If she hadn't been struggling to hold onto an enraged Ron she would have hurried through the crush of magical folk to take them out of the reach of his murderous contempt.

………..Draco was pushing her against the corridor wall, using his height to pin her and pressing in close. "Come on Granger. You aren't frigid are you? You must have fancied a little taste of Slytherin?" he was whispering in a tone half serious and half mocking. Somehow she had pushed him away and run up the corridor, feeling angry enough to have drawn her wand.

……….."Filthy little Mudbood!"

They were certainly memories of Lucius and Draco but not quite the ones she had in mind. She pushed against the rush of images with her mind, thinking fiercely of snow.

………… And suddenly she was pressed to the mossy trunk of a pine tree, her heart beating wildly with fear. Lucius Malfoy was carefully checking the jar that Draco had pulled from the open bag that was lying in the snow between them. Draco was looking anxious, waiting for his father's approval. Lucius finally gave him a self-satisfied smile. The scene in the forest played clearly before her, bright on her mind's eye.

The image vanished. Snape's office reappeared, as did the slim figure of the Potions master, who had pulled up his wand to stop the magic. He was looking at her with an almost incredulous expression.

"It is not possible," Snape murmured, "the memory must be false. I would know if Lucius had escaped from Azkaban. I would _know_!"

He continued to look at Hermione as though trying to pierce her mind once more and then seemed to make a decision. Hermione could not stop a small smile of satisfaction from appearing on her face. She had finally managed to show him.

"Miss Granger, if I may?" Snape now came swiftly round his desk towards her, his wand held out.

"I am going to perform a revealing charm that will show if you have recently been the subject of a Dark Hex or Spell."

He circled her with quick strides, his robes billowing, making an arcing movement of his wand about her while muttering the charm. Hermione stood still as she felt the magic run across her body. Nothing happened.

Snape finally stopped and calmly put his wand back into the sleeve of his robes.

"There is no sign that you have been affected magically. That charm would have revealed any implanted vision or dream."

Hermione was curious. "Why didn't Dumbledore use that charm on Harry…. last year?"

"I suspect that this particular revealing charm would always show Dark Magic in the vicinity of Potter's scar. Harry Potter is a _special _case." Snape grimaced.

"Now Miss Granger, everything suggests either, that you are suffering from severe mental delusion for which there is a ward reserved at St. Mungo's, or that you apparently saw Lucius Malfoy with his son in the Forbidden Forest six days ago."

The Potions master now looked across the office at the bowl of the Pensieve.

"I need to examine this memory more closely. Although this device is not recommended for adolescents, as they have a tendency to put in their short term memories and therefore forget that they used the Pensieve at all, I think that it might prove useful in _this _case."

Snape moved across the office to where the stone bowl rested on top of a shelf. He had almost reached it when he gave a sudden cry of pain and clutched at his left forearm. Hermione knew immediately what _that_ meant. Voldemort had touched the Dark Mark of another Death Eater and was summoning Snape to his side.

"Miss Granger," the voice was low and pained, "our lesson is concluded for this evening."

Hermione ignored him, her stomach had clenched with fear as she realised that he had been summoned.

"But, Sir! The night of the New Moon is two days away. You said that the next meeting was being held _then_!"

"As I also informed the Order meeting, I am frequently summoned to the Dark Lord's side to alleviate the effects of the tainted regenerative potions that I have been administering. This is obviously just such an occasion." Snape was calmly restoring his memories from the Pensieve as he spoke.

"Professor Snape! You must not go! There is something wrong, I can feel it."

"Feelings are weakness in the magical world, Miss Granger. How many more times will I have to teach you that lesson. I _must go._ The Dark Lord must not suspect that he commands _anything _but perfect loyalty. I cannot afford to miss _any_ opportunity to discover how to infiltrate his hidden location." He was remaining so calm despite the slight flexing of his left wrist that betrayed the fact that the Mark was still calling.

"Professor!"

Hermione was desperate; all her instincts were screaming that something was wrong.

"It is the Dark of the Moon! The time of binding magic. Can't you see? You spoke of a new plot in preparation. Malfoy has escaped and is up to something. This ties in with what has been happening, with what I have seen and Voldemort's plans. You said that _he _uses the phases of the Moon – _You must not go!_"

"I am well aware of the significance of the timing," Snape sounded a little weary, "and there is obviously a mystery to solve concerning what you have seen. But I _know _that there is nothing to be alarmed about. I will return shortly and I promise to address your anxieties in the morning."

He took Hermione gently by the upper arm and steered her to the door of his office.

"Goodnight, Miss Granger, I …….appreciate your concern." Snape said very softly.

Hermione found herself once more looking at the closed door of Snape's office but this time all she felt was a sense of dread!

T.B.C.

Authors Note: Okaay – Next chapter will reveal _everything. _Although I'm sure that you clever lot out there have already worked it all out from the clues and have been shouting "Get on with it!" for the last few chapters! This chapter will be ready to post (I promise!) one week from today.

Please note that the warning posted at beginning of Chapter Two now comes into effect – if you don't like don't read.


	9. A Fate Worse Than Death

A Fate Worse Than Death

By West Dean

Chapter Nine: A Fate Worse Than Death

Authors Note: Apologies in advance, this chapter is going to be a chronic case of monologing by the Villain. But "Mr Bond" will not manage to get off the table before the laser reaches him.

ssHGss

With a "_crack_" of Apparition, Severus Snape appeared in the drawing room of what had once been a grand Muggle house. Its former grandeur was still reflected in the huge grey marble fireplace, the faded tapestries lining the walls and the shabby but beautifully wrought furniture. Snape was dressed in the midnight black robes of a Death Eater, the hood covering his head, the featureless white mask covering his face. The room appeared empty and he immediately lowered the hood and took off the mask with a twist of his elegant fingers.

A figure stirred in the depths of a red winged-back chair situated by the dully-glowing fire. It was a short fat figure with thinning hair standing up in all directions and arms moving in an unceasing twitching motion … Peter Pettigrew.

Snape looked at him with barely concealed dislike. Pettigrew had made a fool of him in front of the pathetic remains of the Marauders, actions reminiscent of the time when they had been boys and he would _never_ forgive him for that. The devious little man retained the ear of Voldemort however, so Severus contented himself with just a sneer.

_A Textbook example of the dangers of running as an unlicensed Animagus, _was his thought, _and of holding form too long. Look at the way his hands are creeping up towards his face to stroke the whiskers that are no longer there. It is disgusting. _Peter suddenly realised that Snape's attention was focused on his moving arms and with a start pulled them back. A sly smirk of glee remained on his face.

"_He's _waiting in the bedroom." Pettigrew grinned. "_Most eager _to see you."

His normal hand, still unselfconsciously curling itself into a claw, pointed towards the double doors that, stretching from floor to ceiling, dominated the end of the room.

Beyond them lay the former withdrawing room, which had been converted into a bedroom for Voldemort, with sumptuous velvet hangings on the windows, ancient rugs piled on the floor and crowned by a canopied four-poster bed in the 18th Century Oriental style.

All that concerned Snape was that the door and walls of that room crackled with protective wards and he welcomed the opportunity to examine them more closely. With a non-committal grunt of acknowledgement in Pettigrew's direction, Severus advanced to the doors and threw them open in his most melodramatic style.

He walked into the room focusing his attention on the bed, which he noted with a slight frown of puzzlement, was empty.

"So _lovely _to see an old _friend_ again," drawled an aristocratic voice.

Snape spun around. Standing in the corner of the room was Lucius Malfoy. He was wearing a burgundy cloak trimmed with ermine, which gave the illusion that his blond hair reached all the way to the ground to gather in a white pool. He held a silver goblet in one hand and his wand, its tip pointed directly at Snape's heart, in the other.

Somehow Severus instinctively knew that the wards dampening wand magic were not operating at this moment. His hand flew to his sleeve but his fingertips had only touched the end of _his_ wand when Lucius made his move.

"_Petrificus Totalus._"

Severus felt his body snap rigid under the effect of the spell. He fell backwards onto the carpet, like a tree being felled, his eyes fixed rigidly open. Lucius advanced across the room closing the doors with a flick of his wand. Still holding the goblet he reached down to pluck Snape's wand from his stiff fingers and then stood looking down upon the prone man.

"Were you expecting to see our Lord, Severus? He _did_ summon you, by placing his hand upon _my_ mark in fact. But he has now departed, content to leave the rest of this evening's _activities_ in my hands. Shall we get to it then?"

With another slow wave of his wand Lucius raised the petrified body of Snape into the air and floated him over to the bed. He arranged his body carefully, making sure that his head descended onto a pillow and then moved out of Snape's line of sight to place the goblet on a bedside table. All that Severus could see from this angle was one of the bedposts, which had the carved wooden figure of a Chinese dragon chasing a bird of paradise into the canopy above. His eyes were blind to its beauty as his mind whirled in turmoil.

_DAMN, damn! It really _is_ Lucius. Granger was right – why in Hell's name didn't I listen to her! I didn't really believe her despite what I saw with Legilimancy. Damn my lack of trust. And WHY didn't I know of his escape? WHAT did I do wrong? HOW have I given myself away? I've been so careful. _

The mattress sank down beside his head as Lucius sat. He rearranged Snape's hands at his sides, replaced his wand into the sleeve of his robes and started to smooth the locks of his black hair from their disarray.

"Ah, this brings back old memories Severus. Do you remember? Those golden days between the end of _your_ Schooldays and _our_ arranged marriages, when we were free and willing to indulge our _fancies, _to store up good memories for the years of _duty _that lay ahead."

Lucius trailed a long strand of Snape's hair through his fingers.

"A little bit of _Fun _after our betrothals,I to Narcissa and you to ……Vervain wasn't it? A pale insipid blonde with a face like a horse, if I remember correctly. She had the best of _blood_ but was so inferior to you in intellect and magic that even the arrangements that make such marriages _palatable _you would have found unbearable. You must have been glad to be shot of her even though it took place in a rather _dramatic_ fashion!"

_No! Not in that way. _Snape thought in anguish. _No one deserved to die like that. _

Lucius continued to run Snape's hair through his fingers, a melancholy look now on his face.

"That's where the problem began didn't it? The announcement of your betrothal brought you to the Dark Lord's attention. _He_ had been so triumphant – his armies were growing, fear was smoothing his path through the Wizarding community. He began to look to the future and what his kingdom would look like and it was then he decided that he wanted _you _at his side and in his bed. You were so beautiful in those days Severus. Flush with power and the promise of the future. It all ended in a night of blood and pain…….."

Lucius fell silent. Both men could recall, with unwanted clarity, the night when the former Tom Riddle had made it clear to Severus that there would be no one else in his life but Lord Voldemort.

………… The Death Eaters had been standing in their customary circle, each holding themselves as still as possible to avoid unwelcome attention. In the centre of the circle a soft formless mass lay on the ground, a dark stain spreading across the cloak that had finally been thrown over it. The only sound had been the harsh panting of Lord Voldemort as he stood at the head of the circle. The fingers of one hand were entwined forcefully in the hair of the kneeling man before him, forcing him to bare his neck, and the other hand was holding his wand firmly against Snape's throat. Severus had been shaking from the effects of repeated _Cruciatus _but was forced to look up into Voldemort's gleaming eyes.

"_Never forget,_ my beloved, that this is the fate that will await any who come between_ us. _Your _heart_, your _soul _and your _life_ are mine! You will _never_ let even the _thought_ of another person into your heart without knowing that I will tear them apart!" Voldemort had hissed…………

"And you never have, have you?" The voice of Lucius broke the silence.

"All these years, you have never _dared_ a relationship with anyone, never let anybody near your frozen heart, even when the Dark Lord was a casualty of war. He marked you that badly? You always hold onto events that happened in the past for far too long, my dear boy!

"What an irony that you have spent most of the intervening years living in the one location where all the most beautiful and eligible young witches (and wizards!) of Britain have paraded before you year by year." Lucius gave a mirthless chuckle.

"Never even set your eyes on one of them Severus? Never entertained the thought of seeking their _affections_? I know that night affected _you_ – you vanished for weeks. I knew that the death of Vervain had drawn a_ natural _close to _our_ relationship; I felt it quite _prudent_ to create some distance between us in fact. Narcissa was _most_ obliging, I believe that _Draco_ was soon on the way. But I was still worried for you, what the Dark Lord would do upon your return.

"I knew that you _would_ return – none of us is willing to risk the Death that our Lord can inflict through the Dark mark. Then suddenly you _were_ back, no explanation of where you had been but seemingly willing to accept the Dark Lords terms and his favour. He welcomed you back without question but did not have time to savour his triumph. The prophecy came to light and then in his desperate urge to prevent it taking place he precipitated his downfall and ours."

Someone else might have felt a glimmer of hope that their captor was showing some empathy towards them but Severus knew that once Lucius started waxing nostalgic or, even worse, showing emotion he was not going to be leaving that room alive.

_That would be the best solution, _was his desperate thought. _No one would ever know that one person _has _finally touched my heart. That the most brilliant young witch that Hogwarts has seen for generations has become so dear to me. I will NOT allow Vervain's fate to befall Miss Granger – Hermione!_

Lucius abruptly rose from the bed and moved out of Snape's line of vision. He heard a chink of glass then the sound of pouring liquid. Lucius returned holding a crystal goblet full of ruby coloured wine, which he commenced to sip while regarding his captive thoughtfully.

"I think we've had enough of revisiting the past. What you are wondering is why we are not sharing these old memories seated at the fire next door sipping 100 year old Fire-whiskey? Why indeed you only learnt of my state of freedom when you walked in through those doors. Blame it on too much thinking on my part Severus. Too much thinking over the past few months while I've been locked up in that accursed prison.

"You were never in Azkaban over the winter months were you Snape? The very walls _vibrate_ with the sound of the storm force waves hitting the island and the cold does not need the assistance of a Dementors touch to leech the warmth from your blood. There is time for plenty of _thinking_ and what I was thinking was _how_ I had come to find myself in this position? The loss of my freedom, my reputation and possibly facing the loss of my life or sanity?

"What had really happened in the Department of Mysteries? Something did not add up.

"On the night of the final vision sent by the Dark Lord to Harry Potter, the boy should have found himself without aid at Hogwarts. Dumbledore and all the adults that the boy trusted had been disposed of. All avenues of communication between Potter and Black were covered and inaccessible ……and yet, at the very moment of seizing the prophecy glass, help arrived including that thrice damned Dumbledore. How had that happened I wondered – the only person left in the castle of any consequence was _you_!

"It occurred to me then that perhaps that was _not_ a coincidence, that a common thread running through our failures over the past few years has been the presence of yourself in the background. I had not previously seen a pattern but in Azkaban perhaps I went a little mad and started to _see_ that the double game you appeared to play might be leaning towards Dumbledore rather than our Lord. I vowed then that if I found you responsible for my position, I would have my revenge. I would plan a fate worse than death for you."

Lucius was now pacing the room, occasionally coming into Snape's line of sight. Severus had no choice but to listen carefully, an ever-mounting sense of dread was stealing over him.

"Things may have remained as sheer speculation on my part but the Dark Lord had been going through a bit of a sticky patch lately. There was the loss of some of his top aides at the Ministry of Magic, the absolute cack-handed mess of the Hogsmeade affair. The only result of _that _was the loss of five Death Eaters and that young fool Morris who, having failed in his task of taking Trelawney, showed a sad lack of stamina under _Cruciatus_ and had to be returned as a bit of a vegetable to his family. They didn't seem to mind too much. I understand that they are the sort of _good_ wizard family that has a chair reserved by the fireplace for family members who succumb to their lust for power.

"The Dark Lord became determined to free at least one of his captured followers but, fearful of the effect of failure on his wavering supporters, decided to carry out a plan without informing any of the Death Eaters except those closest to him. That doesn't include you now, does it Severus? He has had his suspicions about you ever since your tardy return two years ago and his current form has precluded renewing the sort of closeness that he wished from you. Though you may be surprised to learn that that has changed."

Lucius gave another chuckle that contained no humour and moved to refill his glass. He returned to the bed, careful to position himself where Severus could see him.

"Then of course, the opportunity came just a few weeks ago. Do you remember Rottwell? That Auror that got enlisted by the Dark Lord after our little rat Pettigrew managed to winkle out his little _fetish. _He finally managed to arrange his transfer to Azkaban in personal charge of the captured Death Eaters. After that it was simple. Lestrange recovered Morris from the _loving_ arms of his family with a promise of a partial cure. Judicious use of _PolyJuice Potion_ got Morris into my Azkaban cell and myself off the island.

"Rottwell is currently controlling the situation, at great personal risk, through continued use of _Polyjuice _and a bit of _Imperio _for when Morris has to perform. I would love to see the looks on the Aurors faces when they decide to have a little question and answer session. By the time the deception is found out it will have served the Dark Lord's purpose _and mine._"

Lucius raised his glass in a toast to the absent Rottwell.

"I returned in triumph to the Dark Lord's side, acknowledging my debt and aware that I had to give him a great gift. And if I was careful, one that would also strengthen _my _position above that of all the others.

"I decided to give him _you_!

"My suspicions were not enough to sway the Dark Lord's opinion, although he agreed not to inform you of my newfound freedom. Our circle is too fraught with paranoia and backstabbing for that to have succeeded

"I decided however, with the permission of the Dark Lord, (his own paranoia can be _most _useful) to look into your current role of undertaking to restore him to the form and function of a more normal human being. The effects of snake venom and unicorn blood have not really given him a form with which he wants to rule the world.

"Ifound that your Potions, though naturally requiring a great deal of complexity, were very slow acting and seemed to be giving rise to unwanted side effects. I regard myself as a fair brewer of Potions and undertook to provide some restorative recipes of my own.

"The effect has been remarkable Severus. The Dark Lord is now fully restored to his original health and vigour. Do you not think that interesting? I examined the Potions that you had been administering more closely and found them to be tainted. Suddenly everything fell into place and your _treachery_ was revealed.

_"He _certainly thought this discovery to be _very_ interesting and was therefore willing to listen to a little proposal that I had come up with. This was that I create and use against you a Potion (what delightful irony!) that would deliver you pliant to his will and, if you were the Traitor that I now believe you to be, all your treachery would be revealed to our everlasting advantage.

"I undertook to brew the potion. A small problem in obtaining some of the rarer ingredients was overcome by enlisting my son Draco. I could not resist using your own store of ingredients against you. The boy, fearful of losing his father's favour in the future that I have placed before him, only needed to be told of a night when you would be absent from the castle and the wards that you were likely to use. He used his Slytherin cunning to good effect. I read the Owl that you despatched to Narcissa informing her of his detention for brewing an illegal potion. That enabled your suspicions to be carefully laid to rest on a bed made out of a student prank You've had no inkling of this have you Severus? And you pride yourself on your analytical mind."

_Oh I was warned Lucius! But my damned pride has destroyed me! _

" An _Amor Velox Potion _wasn't it? What an _interesting_ set of ingredients it contains. They are _so_ willing to change their effects when exposed to items of great magic … the scale of a Siren for example." Lucius' smile of malice was radiant.

Severus had not thought that his mental anguish could intensify but if he had been able to he would have cried aloud at hearing this!

"A _very _old heirloom of our family. Family legend has it that Trajus Malfoy picked some up in Constantinople while using the cover of the Second Crusade to _liberate _items from ancient eastern magical families some eight hundred years ago.

"What do you get if you add a Siren's scale to a base of _Amor Velox Potion_? No answer? Twenty points from Slytherin, Mr Snape!

"You get _Amor Animus Despero_ also known as _Soul's Love Without Hope. _A most interesting little concoction.And what does it do Mr Snape? Quickly now! Still no answer?

"I shall remind you! It incites overwhelming sexual lust in the person who takes it. They cannot help but seek a partner to quench the fire that is set burning in their flesh, but the moment their love is consummated their ability to control their passion, indeed, all their emotions is taken from them, control passed to their partner along with a significant transfer of their magical power. They become in effect enslaved; never wishing to be free, gradually weakening over time until the magical transfer is complete and they are left lingering in mindless need.

"This is the fate that you deserve, you _Traitor_! Death is far too good for you and _this_ will achieve _so_ much more. The Dark Lord is willing for me to do this because he simply cannot lose _and neither can I._ If you _are_ the Traitor that I have claimed you to be … the effects of the Potion will finally pierce the barriers that you have put up before the Dark Lord's Legilimency. You will deliver to us Harry Potter, Dumbledore and all his supporters and _nothing _will be left to stand in the way of our triumph. Your magic will augment that of the Dark Lord to make him powerful without equal. Finally, and best of all in _his _opinion now that his normal urges have reawakened, he will have you as the most willing partner that he desired so many years ago.

"And if you are not? If under the influence of _Soul's Love_ you reveal that you are true to our cause? Well the Dark Lord still gets his paramour and the magical augmentation that goes with it _and _the guarantee of having at least _one_ truly loyal follower. As for myself? Well, there will be one less Death Eater competing to wield the power at the Dark Lord's side. My favour in his sight will lift me beyond any other.

"But if you are not?" Lucius repeated softly, sitting back down besides Severus on the bed, lifting his face between his two hands to plant a gentle kiss on his lips and touching his forehead to that of Severus so that their black and blond hair mingled.

"Then I promise that you will not remember that I betrayed you and I also promise you a merciful death as soon as circumstances allow. But ….. I _know_ I am right in this!" He spoke more forcefully, reaching over to the table to lift the silver goblet that he had placed there. He put it to Snape's lips and, using the wand in his other hand to release the paralysis from Snape's throat, poured the Potion down, watching carefully to make sure that his captive swallowed it.

Severus truly wished to die at the moment that he felt the liquid trickle down his throat. He could feel the tendrils of magic expanding to fill every part of his body.

_No, NO! I cannot let the barriers of my Occlumency be breached. The Dark Lord will destroy everything! He'll destroy ……Her!_

"Now here is my little scenario. It has been carefully planned so that neither you nor that meddler Dumbledore will realise that anything is wrong until it is too late. I am now supposed to follow your consumption of the Potion with an _Obliviate Charm_. You will awake tomorrow morning with a memory of having successfully attended to a side effect of a Regenerative Potion on the Dark Lord. Following which you returned to your chambers for a glass of Fire-whiskey before bed, whichwill cover the slight headache and nausea that you will be experiencing.

I would love to witness breakfast in the Great Hall tomorrow morning at the moment when you realise that the dining tables appear to have transfigured themselves into a sexual version of Diagon Alley and that you are suffering from inexplicable lust. The Dark Lord was concerned that this element of the _Soul's Love Potion_ might result in you choosing a partner before he gets his hands on you but _I_ believe that your own self-control and the ability of the Dark Lord to use the Dark Mark to influence the subject of your desires will suffice for the next two days. Your feelings of unrequited lust will build to the point of insanity by the night of the New Moon when the Dark Lord will declare you to be his right hand man and take you to his bed, which you will imagine in your potion confounded state to be the summit of _all _your desires. And then we will see!"

Lucius stood up and replaced the Goblet roughly onto the side table. He took Snape,s chin in his hand and turned his head to face him.

"But I have decided that I'm not going to do it quite in that way. In defiance of _His_ direct orders, I am merely going to use a _Conceal Memory Charm _rather than an _Obliviate_ because, one day in the far and distant future when the Dark Lord tires of his mindless _pet _and _I_ rule at his side over a world in which everything that you have worked so hard to protect has been reduced to _dust_, … I'm going to let you _remember_ this night. "

Lucius stood beside the bed, his face alight with triumph, his wand held in his hand and pointed at the helpless wizard before him.

Snape only had time to allow a weight of despair to descend upon his battered mind before he fell into the darkness.

T.B.C.

Authors Note: And so the answer to the question posed in the story summary is --- No!

Author runs for cover from wrath of Pure!Snape/Hermione Shippers!

Next Chapter will be posted within a couple of weeks entitled "Sleepwalking Towards Disaster"

Canon suggests that the Dark Mark _cannot_ be used in the ways suggested above (or else Karkaroff would have been toast!) but in this story it can!


	10. Sleepwalking towards Disaster

A Fate Worse Than Death

Disclaimers as per previous chapters

Chapter Ten: Sleepwalking towards Disaster. Chapter revised 260606

SsHGss

Professor Severus Snape was not a morning person. The preparation of Potions required by the school, and for his own use, had to be fitted in after school hours. The creation of a complicated potion could last well into the night. It was not unusual for the light of early dawn to be glowing over the nearby hills as he finished his work. There were also the many nocturnal activities that had become so frequent since the Tri-Wizard tournament had taken place two years before. An early morning habit was therefore only forced upon him by the school routine.

Supervising breakfast in the Great Hall did offer a few limited compensations. It was definitely the most peaceful of the meals taken at Hogwarts. This was simply due to the fact that the average student was _most_ definitely not a morning person either.

Subsequently Snape had eased himself into his customary position at the High table overlooking Slytherin, to a quiet background murmur of students' voices accompanied by clinks of crockery. It was just as well, he reflected to himself, as he was suffering from a nagging headache and indeed the sight of the mostly fried breakfast items piled up before him in such abundance was threatening to turn his stomach.

_Whatever possessed me to drink a glass of Fire whiskey on my return from my summons last night? That is something that I never normally do – at least during term time and with a double session of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw First years awaiting me this morning._

His jug of coffee, prepared to exacting specifications by the Hogwarts house elves, steamed gently before him but he reached for a glass of orange juice first and selected some dry toast in an effort to overcome his nausea.

There was a flurry of excitement along the tables as a flock of owls made their appearance, bringing the morning post. The commotion died down as students settled to read and unwrap their deliveries. All except at the head of the Hufflepuff table. There a disturbance arose as one of the young witches attempted to grab at a pink owl that was fluttering above her head, holding a parchment tied in red trailing ribbons. The sight was provoking much laughter among the other girls seated at adjacent tables and the young witch was blushing furiously. Snape looked more closely and recognised the long blonde tresses and well-grown form of Susan Bones, a Sixth year Hufflepuff. He also recognised, with a twinge of amusement, the little pink owl.

_Obviously a new subscriber, _he thought watching her as she started to climb onto the table to catch the exasperating little bird, _who is woefully unaware that you can arrange for delivery to the privacy of your own bed. _The sight of the owl brought back fond memories. _The greatest aid to a teenage boy's attempts at seduction at Hogwarts has always been to know the contents of the latest issue of Pink Owl!_

Susan was now trying to jump up and down to grab the parchment. Snape observed that this was causing her breasts to jiggle in a most satisfying manner_ And all the rest of that beautifully pert little body, _he thought and then caught himself in shock as he realised that the sight of the bouncing girl was having the same effect on himself as it was obviously having on the awestruck boys nearest to her.

Susan at last managed to take hold of the parchment and scrambled quickly down from the table. She set off at a near run for the nearest door followed by a couple of her friends who were too incapacitated by laughter to be of any help to the mortified girl.

The little pink owl gave a soft hoot and departed.

Snape watched her run while trying to control his breathing. He could not believe that he had just been looking at one of his students in the same manner as the much younger men in the hall before him.

He had always schooled himself, without any effort, to look upon them all as a bunch of dim nuisances, put there to frustrate his attempts to teach the most delicate of the magical arts. Many were the times that he had felt himself to be in a never-ending battle to combat the effects of teenage hormones among the students in a futile attempt to keep them in a rational enough state to learn.

He would never contemplate looking at any of them in any other way (although recently he would have to admit to himself that there had been a single exception!) And yet here he was feeling as hormonal as a teenager and uncomfortable to boot.

"Settle down, Hufflepuff, settle down. The excitement is over!"

Madame Pomona Sprout, seated a little further up the table, admonished her House who were still buzzing over the incident. Severus looked at her as she leaned slightly towards him while giving a quiet chuckle.

"I see that _Pink Owl_ is still in business, Severus. That was always a little bit of fun to enliven the Girl's bedrooms but, as poor Susan has discovered, that is where it belongs."

Snape gazed at the frizzy haired witch before him, her dimples and sparkling eyes reminders of the young girl that she had once been.

_Yes, I can imagine you curled up in your bed with the curtains drawn, opening the parchment with trembling anticipation and preparing for a little personal session. Did you smell of the fresh spring even then? Oh Great Heavens! This is Sprout man!_

Severus realised hazily that he was thinking and feeling about Pomona in a particularly explicit fashion. This was unsupportable. It may have been a while since he had visited a certain establishment in Hogsmeade that catered for the needs of bachelor wizards but he had never been aware of being reduced to this level of _need_ before.

Only someone who knew Snape very well, and they were _very _few, would have recognised the red tinge to the edge of his cheeks as the embarrassment that he was feeling.

He looked out across the Hall once more, almost desperate to cast his gaze away from Madame Sprout. He also had to avoid looking at the older female students as it was becoming impossible not to focus on their obvious curves even hidden by robes as they were. _Dammit_! He was becoming impossibly hard and his hand shook very slightly as he took another sip of his orange juice.

His look fell upon a group of 7th year boys deep in the throws of a Quidditch discussion, initiated by a batch of new Quidditch publications that had just arrived. His momentary peace was soon shattered as he realised that the sight of them was not dampening his ardour indeed he was enjoying their rugged young looks.

_Hellfire! What is happening to me?_

A very unusual feeling of panic was gaining control over Snape but he was too experienced a wizard not to suddenly feel a twinge of suspicion at the change in his emotional state. He looked at the glass of orange juice in his hand.

_Surely none of the little monsters has dared ……? Even the Weasley twins never tried a prank like this._

Anger swept through him, temporarily banishing his other emotions. His black gaze raked the Hall. He knew that students playing tricks could never resist lingering at the site of their misdemeanour's to witness the fun and they would be totally unable to resist seeing the successful administration of a Love Potion to Professor Snape.

But there were no guilty looks, no rapid glances away from his gaze; nobody was dissolving into fits of giggles. With the excitement of the pink owl over, the students had returned their attention to breakfast and getting ready for the day ahead.

Finally his eyes rested upon one student who _wa_s watching him intently, puzzlement clearly written across her face. Hermione Granger was seated a little way down the Gryffindor table, her breakfast growing cold before her as she stared at the Head of Slytherin House.

Her rosebud lips were parted in a soft O, wisps of her long curly hair were trailing across her forehead in the most appealing manner. She was even leaning forward slightly exposing sweet curves to his view. Severus gazed raptly at her; his blood was suddenly pounding with desire.

_Just five minutes alone in the dungeons together. I'd throw her across my desk and give her such a good Seeing To!_

His awareness of the rest of the hall was fading he was burninginside. Suddenly, a nauseating feeling of lassitude rippled across his body from the Dark Mark on his arm. The clash of the two opposing forces left him almost dizzy. Snape stood abruptly – he _had_ to get out of the Hall, the feelings he was experiencing were unbearable.

He fled for the dungeons, heedless of the surprised glances that his obvious state of agitation had caused.

ssHGss

Hermione _was_ puzzled. She was so puzzled that she had become unaware that she was gaping open mouthed at the behaviour of Professor Snape. Firstly he had arrived much later than usual – most of the students were already in the hall. And he had looked – terrible! Worse even than when she knew he had attended a Death Eater meeting. She had watched him sit down and look with obvious distaste at the breakfast set out before him.

She had been waiting for him to come in. She had been so worried when he had left abruptly the night before. The summons had felt so wrong. It had taken her a long time to fall asleep. The events of the past few weeks had kept running through her mind as she searched for something that would support her intuition that Professor Snape had been caught in a trap. She needed to show him her memories in the Pensieve and was anxious to make sure that the feeling of dread that had hung over her since the previous evening had no foundation.

Hermione was distracted by the arrival of a flock of owls in the hall. A tawny owl flying with practised efficiency swooped down and dropped her copy of _The Daily Prophet_ with a soft thump on the table before her. She unrolled the paper and quickly scanned the front page noting, with the usual twinge of disappointment, that when it came to combating Voldemort, inertia reigned as usual among the wizarding community.

She was distracted by a whoop of laughter from a nearby table and turned to see Susan Bones desperately trying to reach for a parchment held just out of a reach by a well known little owl.

_Oh Susan! Only in Hufflepuff would your friends not think to check whether you had asked for private delivery and they are not being much use now, _Hermione thought as she looked at the scene before her. She then became aware that the boys seated at the Hufflepuff tables and indeed at the other tables were watching the sight of Susan jumping to catch the owl with a very particular interest.

_Oh really. You would think that they could control themselves a little by now. How do they ever expect to do magic that requires concentration?_

Hermione averted her gaze. She was never one to take part in adding to someone's misery like this and was not about to start. She glanced back at the teachers' table to see if Snape had settled to any breakfast and was riveted by a new and amazing sight. Like everyone else, Professor Snape was watching the antics at the Hufflepuff table. But the sneer of irritation that Hermione would have expected to see on his face was entirely absent. Instead he was watching Susan with a very intense expression. Hermione recognised that one from a few frantic encounters with overexcited boys. _I don't believe it. He looks as though he's undressing her with his eyes and his intentions are not honourable!_

She saw the realisation hit Snape and a confused expression swept his face. Hermione continued to watch him intently as first he looked at Madame Sprout and then out across the Hall. _What is wrong with him? I've never seen him look unsure of anything before – he normally covers up his emotions with anger_. A little bit of Hermione was nagging that she knew too much about how to read Snape's emotional state. But she continued to watch with fascination as he now looked at his glass of orange juice and then a familiar expression of anger made his black eyes glitter. Only Hermione seemed aware of this little drama. Around her the rest of the hall continued with their normal breakfast, all as oblivious as Ron and Harry beside her that their Potions Professor was acting so oddly.

Snape was now looking across the Hall with a furious expression on his face, which was causing Hermione even more puzzlement. Finally his gaze fell on her and she became aware of a most intense scrutiny. The sort of scrutiny that was unmistakable in its intent. Her cheeks burned and her breath hitched in her throat as she became aware that his face was suffused with lust. His eyes were devouring her – she felt as though they were the only two people in the hall. Hermione had never been the focus of anything of this intensity and she was feeling pinned in place by his stare, unable to move, when Snape suddenly rose to his feet, threw back his chair and headed with quick steps for the teachers' exit from the Hall.

Hermione found herself on her feet too. No way was she going to let Snape vanish into the dungeons after that little display! There was something wrong with him and the feeling that had swept her last night had returned with full force. If she went out of the main entrance she would be able to intercept her Professor in the corridor that ran parallel to the Hall. She muttered a garbled excuse to Ron and Harry about needing another textbook and walked as quickly as she could to the back of the Hall. She moved quickly out through the doors and round into the side corridor.

Sure enough the figure of Snape was hurrying towards her. He had not seen her; He was cradling his left arm with his right hand and was looking at it, a puzzled expression on his face.

Hermione positioned herself in the middle of the corridor. She was not going to let him fly by without a word this time.

"Are you alright Professor?"

His reaction was very strange! He backed hastily away from her until he collided with the wall and stood there as though pinned, his long fingers braced across the stonework.

"Yes, of course I am, you silly girl." Snape snarled through gritted teeth while fixing his gaze on the section of corridor wall several feet above her head.

Hermione quickly glanced up to see what he was looking at – nothing! Snape was paler than usual, breathing quickly and his forehead was clearly beaded with sweat. He was studiously avoiding looking at her. It was alarming to see him like this.

"I ……_must_ go." he muttered and went to push past her, keeping close to the corridor wall.

Hermione almost went to grab at his sleeve she was so desperate to make him stop but her natural respect for a teacher's authority held her back. She had also been unsettled by the way he had looked at her. _But he is getting away. _

"Professor Snape," she shouted. "What about the Pensieve? You were going to help me this morning to look at the memory of Lucius Malfoy and the Potion ingredients. Have you forgotten?"

Snape stopped so abruptly that his robes continued to swirl about his black clad legs.

"Lucius? What! There… was a Potion?" he muttered hoarsely.

Hermione caught up to him, looking into his distracted face with alarm. Suddenly he looked at her his face going very stiff. His hand shot out and grabbed Hermione's forearm with an agonising grip. With his other hand he shoved open the door of the nearest classroom and pulled her in.

It was empty. The lines of desks had been pulled back to clear a demonstration area by the blackboard. Snape released Hermione by the door as though her touch stung him and strode forward to the front of the class where he began to pace quickly to and fro. He seemed to be talking to himself and ignoring her but when she went to step forward his head shot up.

"No! Stand there…_Stay there_!" Snape hissed.

He finally slowed and came to a stop and seemed to draw himself up slightly, regaining his composure.

Snape now glanced at the puzzled Hermione, his expression almost wary.

"Miss Granger, I …apologise for my _unusual_ behaviour. I seem to remember your concern when I was summoned but my memory is not clear. Your comment just now has triggered a fragment of memory that is at odds with what I remember from last night. Other events have been taking place this morning that suggest that I may have been subject to an unknown spell. Through no fault of your own you are the last person that I wish to see at this particular moment but I suspect that you may be the most suitable to help me."

Hermione made her way between the desks, amazed at Snape's comments. He waved her to a stop a few feet from where he was standing.

"I imagine that you are aware of the advanced _Reveal_ charm?" Hermione nodded. "I wish you to perform a variation with the words _nocens hex _inserted before the last _aperio_. One repetition with each wand movement. Wand movement is the same as the basic body scry and must be continued for a full revolution." Hermione nodded again. "Good, I suspected that you would understand perfectly. Proceed."

Snape now stood still and silent in the centre of the classroom. Hermione drew her wand and began to murmur the charm while tracing the magical lines across his lean body as she walked around him. When he had done this to her the previous evening, nothing had happened but this time she was immediately aware of a magical reaction. The air about Snape's body began to glow, a shimmer of light appeared, at first a light green in colour but the colour continued to deepen until it was a coruscating emerald. Only an effort of will allowed Hermione to continue to utter the charm until it was complete. She finished and the green light slowly dissipated.

Snape was looking down at his hands where the last whips of emerald light were slowly vanishing. He now looked up at her, a shocked expression on his face.

"I fear Miss Granger," he murmured faintly, "that I am discovered!"

Hermione was silent. She was filled with dismay. That green glow had signified very dark magic. Just as she had feared, something had happened to Snape last night and he had obviously not been aware until this moment.

"I do not remember what truly happened last night. But I do not think that this is due to an _Obliviate. _I know only too well the magical signature of _that_ spell! I want you to cast an advanced _Dispellation _charm. I must know _now _what has been done. Try a _Dispell Conceal, _it will require full power – do not hesitate Miss Granger. I suspect that I cannot be harmed any further."

Hermione summoned her considerable concentration and cast the charm. She was watching Snape intently, his eyes had flickered shut. Her magic faded slowly away and she watched her Professor who continued to stand there like a statue for long moments.

Finally Snape opened his eyes. They were filled with horror.

T.B.C.

Authors Note: I've been asked how this plot came about. In short I read a couple of VERY dark angsty Snape fics (which it would be inappropriate to list here) that suggested how vulnerable Snape is in the position that he has chosen to play. After all Voldemort isn't above personally torturing and trying to murder a 14-year-old boy (GOF) and that is in a book aimed (mainly) at children! After I got into reading and enjoying HG/SS fics I came across many of a type that could be classified as Hermione In Peril At The Hands Of Voldemort/Death Eaters And Rescued By Snape! My warped mind pondered over a reversal of the usual story and behold a very powerful plot bunny jumped up fully formed! I will frankly admit that even I was surprised at what happened when Evil!Lucius! took over chapter Nine – I might have to keep him locked in a box for future chapters.

But I promise NO non-con, no graphic scenes and the emphasis IS on Hermione and Severus.

West Dean


End file.
